Cancer is a terrible disease that has affected far too many. My hope and prayer is that the word cancer will be removed from our vocabulary once the disease has been eradicated and a cure found. I have seen cancer’s effect on many, but the most alarming statistics are in the fire service. I have walked with some who have had good results with treatment, surgery or both, but I have also walked with others that this dreaded disease took their lives. A friend and former battalion chief I served has been in this fight for some time. Today, I got to be part of a ceremony where the fire service joined ranks from Florida to Virginia and beyond to transport and finally present a motorized scooter to Dave Creasy after being touched by literally hundreds of firefighters along the way.
We talked about cancer awareness and prevention throughout my career. Dave and his family have decided to take this message to the streets, attempting to educate firefighters across this nation about the dangers inherent in the job. Cancer awareness, cancer prevention, cancer insurance, and life after cancer are the thrust of the message that is working through the General Assembly, as well as every fire station in Virginia and across America. Part of this morning’s ceremony was hearing the “Chico Pledge” read by a Richmond battalion chief. The gist of this pledge is that firefighters will:
Wear their breathing apparatus on a fire scene as long as the hazard exists
Decontaminate and clean ALL of their personal protective equipment after every fire
Shower as soon as possible, after each fire
Wash their uniforms separate from all other clothing
Another part of cancer prevention is to participate in annual physicals, which have proven invaluable in detecting early stages of cancer in many fire service personnel. Also spoken about this morning was the astronomical costs of cancer medications and the need for cancer insurance.
I have watched cancer strike many over the years. I applaud Dave, Martha and D.C. for their desire not only to fight the disease, but to fight for the men and women that presently do the job and for the scores of men and women that will come in the future. As stated previously, cancer numbers are staggering in the fire service, and only firefighters can change that by the way that they do business. This issue began to change with my generation, but it still had a long ways to go. More intentional, practical steps are being taken in today’s fire service to make the job even safer for those to come. For those of you who are not and will never become firefighters, cancer may still be a prevalent danger. You, too, must do everything possible to prevent cancer from occurring. For some, it is passed on genetically. The awareness of the possibilities must lead to more frequent screenings so that it can be detected and treated early. Cancer is a terrible disease and it must be fought with every fiber of your being.
