SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Fire Department says no firefighters have died from cancer since 2023 — a sharp decline from the eight deaths reported between 2013 and 2023.
In 2018, KSAT spoke with the wife of firefighter Todd “Woody” Woodcock, who died of cancer in 2016. His death helped spur changes at the San Antonio Fire Department over the past eight years, including updated cleaning and equipment protocols, as well as a program designed to replace contaminated gear after fires. Those efforts have since become a model for other departments.
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Veteran firefighters said that in years past, soot-stained turnout gear was often seen as a badge of honor.
Firefighter/paramedic Apolinar Lerma said the department’s cancer-prevention push has made a significant impact since he joined about four and a half years ago during the culture shift.
Lerma said he also received a diagnosis after taking an EsoGuard test at one of the department’s wellness fairs, a screening used to check for signs of esophageal cancer.
Lerma tested positive for Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that can become cancer if not caught early. He said the diagnosis was frightening but eye-opening, and he’s proud to work for a department that hasn’t had a cancer-related firefighter death in three years.
“To be a large department like this and hit those markers, that is overwhelming. I don’t know any other department that can do this,” Emergency Services Deputy Chief Brandon Murray told KSAT. “We swap your gear out, we give you opportunities to take a shower, we give you opportunities to clean yourself, your gear, the apparatus.”
The department’s cancer-free initiative centers on three areas: education through wellness fairs, reinforced policies and protocols, and support from city leadership. Officials said city management backed the effort by allowing firefighters to attend wellness fairs. In contrast, on duty and by funding a second set of turnout gear for every firefighter, so contaminated gear can be swapped out instead of being worn.
The next wellness fair is set for Feb. 7–8, and organizers are encouraging retirees to attend. The event offers skin and esophageal cancer screenings, full-body scans and guidance on where to get additional cancer testing.
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