Saving Those who Save Others

Image via Pixabay

By Mel Bearns

It goes without saying that firefighters are some of the most valuable members of communities big and small across the country, and their role as first responders to the scenes of fires, accidents and other catastrophes is vital to saving countless lives each year. But this occupation is not only fraught with the obvious physical hazards that come with the job – firefighters are also exposed to many other dangers that go unseen, often leading to the development of cancer.

According to the CDC, cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters. Research shows that firefighters are at a significantly higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general population. This is due to exposure to hundreds of different chemicals released through the burning of hazardous substances in the form of gases, vapors and particulates. It is estimated that as of this writing there are over 1 million active-duty firefighters in the United States at risk of developing cancer.

Adopt a Firefighter

Adopt a Firefighter, DBA Save a Firefighter, is a non-profit organization that is on a mission to raise awareness about the unseen risks that firefighters are exposed to and provide critical early detection cancer screening tests to all firefighters. The organization, in partnership with companies that founded its creation, launched its first campaign with a $2.5 million donation in the form of tests from Cancer Check Labs and aims to raise additional $1.5 million to purchase screening tests in order to provide them free of charge to firefighters.

Cancer Check Labs – a founding sponsor of Adopt A Firefighter, donated a total of 1,000 cancer check tests. Save a Firefighter started a community and corporate donation campaign to cover the discounted price for another 1,000 tests in order to be able to provide free solid tumor cancer screening tests to every firefighter in the Dallas metro area – home to the founding companies and the first major rollout of this campaign.

"Firefighters are some of the most crucial members of our society, yet we often forget that the leading cause of death among them is due not to workplace injuries but to cancer," said Sumit Rai, President and Board Director of Adopt a Firefighter and CEO of Cancer Check Labs, the company providing the cancer screening tests. "These are the men and women that show up every day to serve their communities and do one of the most difficult, dangerous and selfless jobs in the world. Our goal with Adopt A Firefighter is to 'be the hero behind our heroes' by providing every firefighter access to early cancer detection tests and empowering them to prioritize their well-being, define their future, and continue their invaluable contribution to society."

"I became a full-time firefighter so I could stay grounded and serve my community. Part of that is ensuring that people like me can continue to live long, healthy and productive lives. That is what I am committed to in my work with Adopt A Firefighter," said Stipe Miocic, current board member and advisor, UFC Heavyweight Title Contender, former 6x Heavyweight UFC Champion, and full-time firefighter.

It is the hope of Adopt a Firefighter that this partnership with Cancer Check Labs will lead to saving numerous lives through early detection. Cancer Check can screen for 200+ cancers by physically extracting whole, intact circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a blood sample. And because CTCs have been detected in blood samples as early as Stage 0, Cancer Check arguably provides the earliest cancer detection test available today.

To date, the GoFundMe fund raising campaign by Adopt a Firefighter has raised nearly 65% of the funds needed to acquire the additional tests, and plans are underway to begin administering the cancer screening to Dallas firefighters soon.

Learn how you can get involved by visiting https://www.saveafirefighter.com.