By Megan Jackson
Marietta Daily Journal
SMYRNA, Ga. — Small changes can make a big difference in reducing cancer risks for firefighters, according to Smyrna Fire Chief Brian Marcos.
Smyrna Fire was recently named a “Golden Helmet” department, a recognition given to fire departments where over half of active firefighters are involved in a study working to understand and reduce cancer risks for firefighters.
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The “Golden Helmet” distinction comes from the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR), an effort by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control to increase cancer prevention efforts and understanding.
Marcos, who serves as the state director for the Southeastern Fire Chief Association, said the NFR reached out to him to help get more fire departments involved in cancer prevention and detection.
“It just reinforces that our people are important to us. Longevity is important to us. There’s no sense in going through this career and not making top of mind… their health and wellness,” he said.
Smyrna Fire is the only department in Cobb County with the Golden Helmet distinction. According to the CDC, there are 131 Golden Helmet departments across the nation, eight of which are in Georgia.
“I believe in starting off with the things that are within our control and may not necessarily have a huge budget impact,” he said. “We start there first, and that deals with behavior and importance and priority.”
Cancer-causing chemicals can be released when materials burn.
“The (heat) from a mattress or materials from the past to today are significantly different,” he said. “They burn hotter, they burn faster, and the chemicals that are within them, because people are producing cheaper materials, lighter materials, it’s just a different chemical makeup. And they’re honestly a lot more dangerous to the firefighter. And so plastics, those types of things, definitely create a more hazardous environment for the firefighter inside structures.”
Measures reducing exposure to dangerous chemicals include ensuring firefighters shower within an hour after responding to a fire-involved incident, ensuring doors to the fire engine bay are shut to prevent fumes from entering the rest of the building and properly and thoroughly cleaning protective gear.
“Take off your uniform before you go home. Don’t wash it in the same clothing that you wash your family’s clothes in. You know, those are just best practices,” he said.
After responding to a fire, Marcos said firefighters rinse and scrub their equipment with water and dawn dish soap before leaving the scene. Equipment that could contain contaminants, such as protective hoods, are removed and replaced with a clean hood.
Each firefighter has two sets of gear to give adequate time to wash items like pants and jackets. Personal protective equipment and uniforms are no longer stored next to fire engines, but in separate rooms to prevent contamination from diesel fumes.
Firefighters also have access to preventative medical screenings, including cancer, mental health and cardiac screenings during yearly physicals.
According to the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR), 66% of active firefighter deaths between 2002 and 2019 were caused by cancer. Firefighters have a 9% higher chance of developing cancer and a 14% higher chance of dying from cancer than the average person. Firefighters are also two times more likely to develop testicular cancer and mesothelioma than the average person, per the NFR.
Through preventative measures, Marcos said he hopes to see those numbers decrease.
Mayor Derek Norton said he is proud to continue supporting Smyrna firefighters.
“Smyrna has the best first responders anywhere in the state, and we support these men and women and their families in every way we can, including investing in and promoting programs to decrease risks to their health,” Norton said. “Making sure Smyrna firefighters can do their jobs protecting our citizens without worrying about cancer risks is a priority, and we are thankful for each and every one of them. And I applaud Chief Marcos for his proactive leadership.”
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