PHOENIX — Firefighters face an increased risk of getting cancer due to their jobs, and in Phoenix, the fire department is making big investments to keep members from being exposed to harmful chemicals.
Every day at the Phoenix Fire Resource Center, contaminated suits are brought in bags. When responding to fires, harmful chemicals that can cause cancer remain on the gear even after leaving the scene.
“It was a badge of honor to have your stuff dirty," Lope Ribodal, with the Phoenix Fire Department, said. "Through the years, with education and stuff that came out, guys started cleaning their stuff.”
Ribodal and his team get to work cleaning all the gear that comes in, and get the fresh ones sent back to the right firehouse in 72 hours. Their specialized "extractors" are high-powered washing machines that get all of the carcinogens off of the suit.
Phoenix Fire is one of the few departments in the country cleaning everything in-house, and where members get two sets of gear. That way, when one suit is getting cleaned, the firefighter has a fresh one ready to go to serve the public when an emergency call comes in.
“Our fire chief, city council, the mayor, they want to make sure our members are safe," Deputy Chief Danny Gile said. "They’ve given us a ton of resources and allocated a ton of money to do that.”
Even with the extra care and investment, the risk is still real. In January, Phoenix Fire Captain Anthony Mock died after a two-year cancer battle.
Gile says these safety measures are done every day with him in mind.
“That is the sole reason we do it, for members like Captain Mock," Gile said. "The gravity of losing members like Captain Mock is not lost on us, we wear that every single day, our members understand how important and valuable this is.”
Resources to help Valley firefighters fight cancer can be found here.
