The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking Maine firefighters to sign up for a registry that helps track cancer data. As 8 Investigates has been reporting, firefighters who get cancer on the job do not always get the support they need, but this registry could help.
Retired or active, full-time or part-time, the CDC wants every firefighter to join the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, whether they’ve been diagnosed with cancer or not.
“We’ve already surpassed the largest group of firefighters ever assembled to study cancer risk, and we’re not done,” said National Firefighter Registry team lead Kenny Fent.
The system tracks how many firefighters develop cancer and what types of cancer they have. Researchers look at a firefighters’ demographic information, time spent on the job and safety protocols used by their departments.
“We really want to understand why some firefighters develop cancer and others do not,” Fent said.
The information ultimately shapes regulations and recommendations that help limit exposure.
“They’ve been able to take their data and put things into place that 20 years ago we didn’t have or we weren’t thinking about,” said Westbrook Fire Department chief Steve Sloan.
Down the line, the data could also help strengthen workers’ compensation laws. As 8 Investigates discovered, most Maine firefighters with cancer see their claims denied.
Today, for firefighters on the National Registry, the most common type of cancer is non-melanoma skin cancer, a disease that’s not covered by Maine’s firefighter cancer presumption law. State law only covers 11 types of cancer. Though if research improves, that list may be expanded.
“The more data that we have to show that it’s work-related, the less that they can push back,” Sloan said.
To sign up, you can visit the National Firefighter Registry Website. The process takes less than 30 minutes, and any personal health information will be protected.
