Posted on December 24, 2025

Prevention, Policy, and Ending Avoidable Exposure

January marks Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, led by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN). The focus is urgent and unequivocal: occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty death in the fire protection service.

In 2025, 79.4% of IAFF members honored at the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial died from occupational cancer (247 of 311). In Canada, where robust presumptive cancer laws are in place, nearly 94% of line-of-duty deaths among professional firefighters are attributed to occupational cancers. Canada formally recognized Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in 2023 through the adoption of Bill C-224, reinforcing the central role of policy in prevention.

Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to carcinogens from smoke, soot, contaminated gear, fire stations, and firefighting foams. Asbestos remains one of the most dangerous and persistent hazards. During fires, demolitions, renovations, and overhauls, particularly in older structures, asbestos can become airborne, contaminating lungs, equipment, and workspaces long after the flames are out.

The science is settled. An extensive NIOSH cohort study of nearly 30,000 U.S. firefighters found that both mesothelioma diagnosis and mortality were approximately twice that of the general population. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified firefighting as a Group 1 carcinogenic occupation.

Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month emphasizes risk reduction and early detection through clean-on-scene practices, gear decontamination, routine medical screenings, and behavioral health support.


Weekly Focus: Practical Prevention in Action

Throughout Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, the IAFF will highlight weekly themes designed to reduce cancer risk on the fireground, in the fire station, and in firefighters’ personal lives. These evidence-based resources benefit firefighters and the broader public alike.

Each week reinforces a central truth: prevention is cumulative, actionable, and lifesaving. Awareness saves lives.

For more than two decades, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and the IAFF have worked together to address preventable firefighter exposures, including the continued use of asbestos in the United States. IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly has been a strong advocate for asbestos prevention and for the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act, legislation that would finally end asbestos imports and use. During the June 9, 2023, Senate hearing, IAFF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan Whu underscored asbestos’s devastating impact on firefighter health.

As long as asbestos remains legal, firefighters will continue to face avoidable risk.

Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month is a call to act through evidence-based practices, strong presumptive protections, transparent exposure standards, and a complete asbestos ban. Prevention only works when it is practiced and enforced.

Follow @IAFFofficial throughout January on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X for resources and prevention tools, and learn more at: https://www.iaff.org/cancer-awareness-month/


Linda Reinstein
President & CEO
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)