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CAFC Cancer Committee
Firefighters Preventing Cancer Research Team
90Second Health Team

7. Decontamination training

7. Decontamination training ...
Reducing your risk

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...

Reducing your risk

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.

 

Image

Reducing your risk

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
assessment, when selecting options, 1 is false, 5 is true.1. I keep myself updated on decontamination protocols.please select an option.. 2. I attend training programs on safety procedures held at our station.please select an option..3. I read the educational material offered at our station on decontamination methods.please select an option..4. I encourage my colleagues to attend decontamination training courses to keep themselves updated.please select an option..5. I talk to my team about how to do decontamination in our department.please select an option..6. I believe that performing decontamination may decrease the chance of getting cancer.please select an option..7. Decontamination can help keep my team and my family safer.please select an option.. Please submit the form to get your assessment.
Personal Story. Personal Story.

As a firefighter in a rural community, my colleagues and friends are very important to me. At the fire station, everyone treats each other like family. We look out for each other, care for each other, and joke with each other. More recently, we've been holding each other accountable to follow proper decontamination protocols and reduce exposure to harmful substances at the scene of fires. It's not a very "cool" topic to bring up at the station, but we all know it's important. Every station approaches decontamination differently, and it's important to know what is expected of us before even responding to a fire. We sometimes read educational materials available at the station and recite them among our colleagues; by doing this educational work, we can make sure that everyone is prepared for the fire operations. And most importantly, we rest assured that each of us can return to our families at the end of a shift knowing that we are as happy and healthy as we can be. After all, there are definite risks involved with firefighting. We risk our lives pretty often, so it's important to do what we can to maximize our health and safety. We can't take care of our community without taking care of ourselves first.

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