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Firefighters cancer prevention
Awareness and funds are raised in a effort to help reduce risk of exposure for firefighters.
MILWAUKEE -- They risk their lives to save others. After firefighters battle flames -- some are left battling cancer. Running into burning buildings comes with a host of dangers -- but occupational cancer is seemingly as deadly as the flames.
"Firefighters are two to 40 times greater risk for all cancers except lung cancer than the public," said Cat Zyniecki, Auxiliary to the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters - Local 215 president.
It's a statistic that sadly, firefighter Sandra Williamson knows firsthand.
"I miss her a lot," Williamson said.
Sandra Williamso
Williamson's older sister, Kristin Ciganek, was a firefighter for 15 years.
"She got diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and they knew through DNA testing it wasn't from smoking and it wasn't hereditary. You can only assume it was from the job," Williamson said.
Ciganek died a few years later.
"She put up a good fight," Williamson said.
Now, Williamson is fighting to help raise awareness of safety measures that need to be taken.
Kristin Ciganek
"We need to wash our gear after every fire," Williamson said. "We shouldn't have these chemicals constantly on us."
When you combine smoke and toxins with scorching temperatures -- the risk is high.
Cat Zyniecki
"The rate of absorption of the carcinogens is 400 percent greater with every five-degree increase," Zyniecki said.
Zyniecki has been helping spearhead the "Firefighter Cancer Prevention Initiative" and has been helping raise money at fundraisers, the most recent at Rock Bottom Brewery, to equip firehouses with washers and dryers for their gear.
"The hood liners inside their helmet -- which is the one thing that touches them the most and the one thing that exposes them to the most to carcinogens at a fire scene -- could get washed every single time they come back to the fire house," Zyniecki said.
The Local 215 Auxiliary is still looking to raise about $20,000 more for eight more washers and 12 dryers that hook up to extractors. For a list of upcoming fundraisers click HERE.