Researcher spreads cancer awareness among firefighters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Occupational cancer caused 65% of deaths among career firefighters between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2021, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

James Cripps, chief production administrator at UofL Health’s Brown Cancer Center, was a firefighter for more than a decade. But after going back to school and knowing other firefighters who had died of cancer, he saw a need for more work.

“I had a few friends who had died of cancer, and we’ve known for about a decade now that many of the cancers that firefighters face are due to occupational exposure,” Cripps said.

Cripps said firefighters get cancer at a higher rate than the public, so he provides educational classes to firefighters across Kentucky, offering tips on how to limit their exposure and chances of developing cancer.

Fern Creek Fire and Ambulance Captain Chris Kurtz said he has been a firefighter for 16 years. Just eight years ago, his department implemented a number of practices to reduce those risks.

“(Cripps has) a pretty good analogy,” Kurtz said. “(It’s) like a bowl; If you keep adding to the scale, it will eventually tip. Hopefully, if we try to remove as much of the scale as possible, it will yield the results we would like to see.

Both Kurtz and Cripps said they believe practices like using wipes that remove dirt and heavy metals from their skin help, adding that they will evolve over time to protect first responders when they need it most .

“By protecting them, they can also protect us as a community and also do their job,” Cripps said.

Cripps added that he hopes to train firefighters to help reduce the risks of occupational cancer. He received one of the 2024 Outstanding Community Engagement Awards for educating firefighters across Kentucky about occupational cancer and mitigation strategies.

Any fire department interested in prevention training can contact Cripps at [email protected] or through the Colon Cancer Prevention Project.