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Firefighter Cancer Coalition

Phone: +61 408 821 942

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25.01.2022 PFAS - The Next Asbestos As detailed by https://pfas.australianmap.net/: "PFAS chemicals have been described as the next asbestos and have been used in a diverse range of products including: fire fighting foam, scotchguard, non-stick cookware etc. They are bio-accumulative and repel water. They are ubiquitous in the environment.... PFAS chemicals are anthropogenic fluorosurfactants, used in a variety of applications including: fire fighting foams, non-stick cookware, the fabric protector scotchguard, stain repellants, and some fast food packaging. PFAS can also be found in house dust, with homes being the major route for human exposure." PFAS chemicals, sometimes referred to as "forever" chemicals, have been linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and kidney, testicular, prostate, breast, liver, and ovarian cancers. The link below is for an interactive map created by people associated with Friends of the Earth Australia and shows a frightening number of sites, particularly across the eastern states of Australia. It is important to be aware of dumping grounds, firefighting training areas as well as affected and contaminated waterways to help protect yourself.

23.01.2022 The presence of cancer-causing PFAS in the very garments that are supposed to protect firefighters could actually be killing them. While this issue hasn’t drawn too much attention in Australia, it is something that all fire agencies and firefighters should be investigating. Are you safe? How do you know? A recent article from Fire Engineering provides the following information: A recent video released by the University of Notre Dame highlighted the work done by researcher Gr...aham Peaslee in investigating the presence of toxic chemicals in firefighter gear. When firefighters run into a burning building, they know the dangers associated with their job. But new research suggests firefighters are at risk before they ever leave the firehouse. Using a spectroscopic technique and the St. Andre particle accelerator, Notre Dame professor Graham Peaslee has found alarming amounts of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE). These chemicals have been linked to elevated rates of cancer and have also been found in fast-food wrappers, cosmetics, drinking water, carpet and flame retardants. He is now working to test many years of new and used gear to better assess the risks for firefighters. Professor Peaslee’s work in this area has encouraged several companies to reduce or eliminate PFAS, and the EPA and state legislators have also made policy changes. He hopes this new study will make firefighters safer, so they can continue to keep all of us safe. The video also shows the efforts of Diane Cotter to raise awareness of this issue, with some scenes filmed at FDIC International, an annual firefighter training conference held in Indianapolis that is produced by Fire Engineering and Clarion Events.

22.01.2022 Australian's were very active online this year calling for social change. Our petition calling for the New South Wales Premier to "Provide Adequate and Practical Respiratory Protection for Firefighters Immediately" ranked No.7 in signatures received in 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/change-org-top-petitions Total signatures received now exceeds 260,000 but there is much to be done. While our start to the 2020/21 fire season has been subdued compared with last seaso...n, media reports continues to show footage of firefighters working in toxic environments with inadequate respiratory protection. The Firefighter Cancer Coalition are committed to correcting this injustice and calling on all fire service agencies to deliver on their obligations under mandatory work health and safety (WHS) law. You can still sign our petition via the following link. https://www.change.org/p/gladys-berejiklian-provide-adequat

04.01.2022 A year on and $53 million later (not including the massive budget provided by the NSW Govt.), volunteer firefighters are still languishing without adequate respiratory protection. Not only that, they're forced to launder their cancer soaked uniforms at home alongside their families clothes. Often only provided one set of ppc. The boots provided to wear on the fireground are the same boots provided to wear around the station.... It's not good enough. But the media and societies appetite for hero worship enables this injustice to be overlooked so that medals can be pinned on those who enjoy the safety of an air conditioned office on the most dangerous of days. It's not the hierarchy that deserve the plaudits. It's the troops on the ground making the ultimate sacrifice with empty promises and the reward of a cancer-riddled future awaiting them. The Firefighter C.A.N.C.E.R. Coalition met with RFS Management and the Liberal Govt to advocate for change. They're reluctance followed by lip service was disappointing but not surprising. It's all about money. Our volunteers are under valued and being taken advantage of. They deserve better! FirefighterC.A.N.C.E.R. . #wearyourair #firefightercancer #monitorandrecord #reduceyourrisk #fcancer #healthyfirefighters @chief_miller1 @sourceonemro @fullspectrumdecon @FFCancerConsultants @fcifightscancer @firefightercancerfoundation @responderwipes @firewipes @onairco @carneystronginitiative @healthyfirefighters @extinguishcancer @code_1_crew @sylvestercancer

03.01.2022 A little light reading for this 24-hour shift. 134 pages of insight, wisdom, research, statistics, references, glossary and recommendations. Commissioned by the UK Fire Brigades Union in association with the University of Central Lancashire, this document adds to the weight of many other researchers, supporting the need for both firefighters and fire agencies to do more in mitigating the exposure to toxic fire gases.... The analysis of over 1,000 samples and survey of over 10,000 firefighters provides a significant body of evidence for our Health and Safety departments to take note of. It also demands the implementation of systems and procedures from our training grounds to fire stations to firegrounds to ensure the safety of our firefighters. Be Safe! Look after one another! FirefighterC.A.N.C.E.R. . Firefighter Coalition Aiming for National Carcinogen Exposure Reduction . #wearyourair #firefightercancer #monitorandrecord #reduceyourrisk #fcancer #healthyfirefighters @chief_miller1 @sourceonemro @fullspectrumdecon @FFCancerConsultants @fcifightscancer @firefightercancerfoundation @responderwipes @firewipes @onairco @carneystronginitiative @healthyfirefighters @extinguishcancer @code_1_crew @sylvestercancer