The job of a firefighter comes with many risks, but cancer is one of the biggest risks, and now Stamford Health is launching a pilot program to help emergency responders make their health a priority.
Kyle Hauser has been a firefighter for 18 years, 12 of which were with the Stamford Fire Department.
“I'm married and I have a family,” said Kyle Hauser, vice president of the Stamford Association of Professional Firefighters. “I'm starting to think about my health, which I didn't think about before.”
Hauser is well aware of the risks to his career.
According to the International Federation of Fire Fighters, occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters, accounting for 72 percent of deaths.
“Since I arrived at Stanford, we've lost one member to occupational cancer and we have two out-of-work members currently battling occupational cancer,” Hauser said.
That's why Hauser, both union leader and health and wellness chair, supports Stamford Health's new firefighter health and wellness program.
“This is great, it's exactly what our industry needs,” Hauser said.
The pilot program began in February, with about 10 to 15 Stamford and Norwalk firefighters receiving medical care from a doctor specialized in their needs.
“We're really hoping that we can bring attention to our firefighters,” said Dr. Katherine Mathews, a physician in the Stanford Health Department of Family Medicine. “They put their lives on the line every day, and just going to work every day is dangerous for them.”
Dr. Matthew is one of the doctors providing specialized care, and she says firefighters are regularly exposed to toxins that put them at risk for occupational cancer.
“The fire itself releases chemicals like carbon monoxide, which we all know is very toxic, but when things are burning there are also a lot of chemicals that are released that you come into contact with,” says Dr Matthew. “A lot of the equipment that they use is meant to protect you because it's fireproof, but the chemicals in that equipment can also be toxic.”
Firefighters are also at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, Dr. Mathews said, which is why Stamford Health encourages firefighters to get tested and monitored.
The health care system wants firefighters to join the force at an earlier age than other patients and be screened for the health conditions they are most susceptible to.
“Firefighters are not normal people. They are at higher risk,” Dr. Matthew said.
Hauser said it provided peace of mind for participants. The pilot program is expected to be rolled out to more fire departments across the state by the end of the year, which he said will mean more overall wellness for Connecticut firefighters.
“You need long-term relationships with physicians who understand the risk factors,” Hauser says. “Not just the physical dangers you're going to encounter in the workplace, but the emotional and psychological dangers.”
