Decontamination is essential for firefighters in the prevention of cancer. Firefighting has been recognized internationally as a cancer-causing occupation. Failure to decontaminate can impact the health of firefighters and their families.
Why decontaminate?
Decontamination works to reduce cancer-causing contaminants, including gasses and particles, from entering the body. These contaminants are present during a fire and stick to gear even after the fire is out. Contaminants enter the body through the skin and by breathing them in. Decontamination after every fire call can reduce your risk of developing cancer.
Good training, teamwork, and vigilance are the top ways to prevent contamination.
... CALL TO ACTION...
Get all the decontamination training you can Many stations offer training sessions for firefighters to learn about PPE, decontamination, and safety procedures. Participate in these sessions to deepen your understanding of decontamination practices. Reading the 90SecondFire Cancer letters will also provide useful information. Talk and work with your team Decontamination requires teamwork. Change in the fire service can be slow but is essential. Some of the team will be eager to adapt their decontamination practices. Others will find all sorts of reasons to not do decontamination. Listen to what your team says and solve problems together. Once procedures are established and practiced, decontamination usually won’t take a lot of time or resources. If you need more resources, it is only by working together that you will get any. Make decontamination part of your routine Moving from knowing to doing is hard. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. Small changes are often best. Try changing one thing every week or two. In a year, you will have decontamination as part of your routine. This will help protect yourself and your family from cancer. |
Get all the decontamination training you can
Many stations offer training sessions for firefighters to learn about PPE, decontamination, and safety procedures. Participate in these sessions to deepen your understanding of decontamination practices. Reading the 90SecondFire Cancer letters will also provide useful information.
Talk and work with your team
Decontamination requires teamwork. Change in the fire service can be slow but is essential. Some of the team will be eager to adapt their decontamination practices. Others will find all sorts of reasons to not do decontamination. Listen to what your team says and solve problems together. Once procedures are established and practiced, decontamination usually won’t take a lot of time or resources. If you need more resources, it is only by working together that you will get any.
Make decontamination part of your routine
Moving from knowing to doing is hard. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. Small changes are often best. Try changing one thing every week or two. In a year, you will have decontamination as part of your routine. This will help protect yourself and your family from cancer.
