The most dangerous part of being a firefighter is not the fire itself.

A former firefighter with the Prince Rupert Fire Department (PRFD), Francis Wolfe received his cancer diagnosis after discovering blood in his urine. He immediately called his doctor who referred him to a urologist, who found two tumours in his bladder.

香蕉视频直播淲hen my doctor first told me, it was like I was hearing something way off in the distance,香蕉视频直播� Wolfe said. 香蕉视频直播淭he hardest thing for me to do was call my wife.香蕉视频直播�

Since the cancer was discovered early, it was treatable. However, it was a conversation with his physician that shone a spotlight on the unknown risks of his job as a firefighter.

香蕉视频直播淗e told me that I have air packs on so I don香蕉视频直播檛 breath in fumes, but when you香蕉视频直播檙e exposed to high heat and then chemicals, toxins get into your bloodstream,香蕉视频直播� Wolfe said.

Wolfe香蕉视频直播檚 doctor asked him how often he goes to the bathroom and Wolfe said sometimes he wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 go for hours while fighting a fire.

香蕉视频直播淗e said, 香蕉视频直播楾hat香蕉视频直播檚 the problem because that stuff ends up in your bladder香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� Wolfe said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd it香蕉视频直播檚 just a toxic soup.香蕉视频直播�

After more than 30 years of entering burning buildings, Wolfe never thought cancer would be what ultimately threatened his life.

A hidden danger

The commonly considered risks of being a firefighter are easy to comprehend. TV shows, movies and books are replete with images of brave heroes running into fire-filled buildings, putting their lives on the line to rescue others.

What is less discussed is the fact that firefighters are exposed to incredibly toxic substances and chemicals at high heat in those situations. A 2018 report by researchers at the University of Fraser Valley cited several carcinogens, such as benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic and cadmium as being present in buildings firefighters have to enter.

The fires in those situations can roar to extremely high temperatures. When that happens, those chemicals are absorbed into firefighters香蕉视频直播� skin and hair through their suits, and unlike the flames themselves, firefighters carry those carcinogens out of the burning buildings with them.

香蕉视频直播淔ire is the sensationalism risk, it香蕉视频直播檚 the flames and the big explosions and you know that香蕉视频直播檚 exciting, but cancer is the one that sneaks up on you,香蕉视频直播� said Jeff Beckwith, deputy fire chief with the PRFD. 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈ウall of a sudden, it香蕉视频直播檚 there and it香蕉视频直播檚 not as sensational as fire, but it香蕉视频直播檚 just as dangerous or more dangerous.香蕉视频直播�

Prolonged exposure to those toxins has resulted in firefighters having higher cancer rates compared to the general population.

The average Canadian male has a 45 per cent chance of developing cancer at some point in their life, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. This risk increases to 54 per cent if that individual is in the fire service.

WorkSafeBC accepted 103 work-related death claims between 1998 and 2018 for people working in the occupations of fire captain, firefighter and volunteer firefighter.

Of those claims, only nine were not related to disease. Of those nine death claims, only two were the direct result of a firefighter entering a building to fight a fire and dying at the scene.

On the other hand, there were 64 death claims between 1998 and 2018 that were attributed to cancer as a result of prolonged exposure to harmful substances. That means that over the last 30 years, if you are a firefighter, you are 30 times more likely to be have been killed by the effects being in a fire, than the fire itself.

Those statistics are sobering for firefighters who until recently, only had to grapple with a certain threshold of risk.

香蕉视频直播淣ow, you香蕉视频直播檝e got this secret stalker that you can香蕉视频直播檛 define,香蕉视频直播� said Beckwith. 香蕉视频直播淚 can define fire, I can see it and I know how it burns and how it works and the risks and the threats that it has, but the exposure, that香蕉视频直播檚 not as tangible.

香蕉视频直播淵ou can feel it, you can dissipate it, but we can only do our best guess to try and minimize the risk.香蕉视频直播�

Derek Kormendy, who has been a firefighter in Prince Rupert for the past seven years, was more blunt in his assessment.

香蕉视频直播淣obody wants to rot in a hospital bed,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Firefighter culture shifts

Education and training have changed in fire departments across the country to reflect the dangers of the job over the past 10 years.

Decontaminating the protective suits used to enter a burning building has become a high priority with firefighters taking extra care not to contaminate either themselves or their living spaces.

香蕉视频直播淲hen people see us at a fire, they香蕉视频直播檒l see guys in turnout gear and then right afterwards, they香蕉视频直播檙e all stripping down into coveralls,香蕉视频直播� Beckwith said. 香蕉视频直播淪o everything in the building, they take off, bag it all up and that goes off for cleaning, and then they香蕉视频直播檙e not taking contaminated gear into the truck and back to the station.香蕉视频直播�

This is a major shift from the attitudes of previous generations. Beckwith said that when he was still young, a dirty helmet and uniform was considered to be a badge of honour, a sign that an individual was always on the front lines.

Firefighters would exit a building, get back into their truck in their gear and go back to the station to begin cleanup. Sometimes they would wash their gear, sometimes they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛.

香蕉视频直播淎ll of a sudden you香蕉视频直播檙e taking dirty gear, putting it upstairs and now you香蕉视频直播檙e walking around with that even in the seat,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou get out and the next guy might be wearing his uniform and he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 at the fire, but he香蕉视频直播檚 absorbing all the stuff that香蕉视频直播檚 dripped into the seat.香蕉视频直播�

When thinking back on his days with the fire department in the 70s and 80s, Wolfe said gear and boots would be stored beside his bed for quick access in case he was dispatched while sleeping.

香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檇 have them right next to you,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 still lots of toxic chemicals in those things.香蕉视频直播�

Once after exiting a burning building, Wolfe香蕉视频直播檚 captain told him to hold his breath and then exhale.

香蕉视频直播淚t was just like smoke coming out if you took a puff out of a cigarette,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was still in my lungs.香蕉视频直播�

As information and statistics have improved, so to have the procedures to help mitigate the risk of exposure. Beckwith said the department takes extra care to identify areas of skin that may be exposed and sanitize those areas immediately upon exiting a building. Uniforms are now separated in an air-vented room in the station while the gear is cleaned and sanitized.

Laws, education and the future

Beckwith said a new generation of firefighters are also being taught to think differently about their safety than previous ones. Academies that train firefighters are placing more of an emphasis on the risks of toxic environments and the importance of proper decontamination.

He said that knowledge has helped to make changes to procedure the norm.

香蕉视频直播淚 think each generation of firefighters is smarter than the previous one,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏ecause you have the benefit of the previous generation teaching you everything and then the new generation has access to technology and innovation, so the guys that are coming in are right on this.香蕉视频直播�

Laws have also shifted to recognize the risks of the profession. In 2005, provincial legislation in B.C. was passed recognizing eight types of cancers as being causally related to the profession of fire fighting.

If a firefighter develops one of these cancers, has worked for the minimum cumulative period and has been regularly exposed to the hazards of a fire scene other than a forest fire, the diagnosed cancer is presumed to have been caused by firefighting and their compensation claim would be automatically covered by WorkSafeBC.

Wolfe香蕉视频直播檚 bladder cancer is on that list, and as a result, he will remain covered until he dies. While his initial surgery was successful, Wolfe香蕉视频直播檚 cancer has returned five times and he has required continued treatment, including a recent course of chemotherapy.

It香蕉视频直播檚 still too soon to know if or how these changes will impact cancer rates moving forward, and how these realities will affect people香蕉视频直播檚 decisions to join the profession. For his part, Wolfe says the career was worth it, even if he would approach things differently now than he did back then.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a job that香蕉视频直播檚 necessary, you香蕉视频直播檙e here to serve the community and do what you can to hopefully save a life or two and just be there when you香蕉视频直播檙e needed,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut if I was still working there, I香蕉视频直播檇 always be thinking, 香蕉视频直播楲et香蕉视频直播檚 not take my air mask off too soon.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

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