OPINION — Scottsdale firefighters face many risks just doing their job. Burning buildings. Car accidents. Heart attacks. Wildfires. Mountain rescues in the Preserve. But that risk also includes cancer-causing materials such as plastics, treated fabrics and synthetic building materials, all of which are among a host of toxins our members are exposed to daily.
In a fire, those materials can release a "toxic cocktail" of carcinogens that cling to gear and skin, and lungs.
We want to thank the Scottsdale City Council and staff for understanding that risk and funding a $400,000 annual contract with the Vincere Cancer Center to provide advanced screenings for firefighters. That includes whole-body MRIs, lung CT scans, skin exams and multi-cancer blood testing.
