Navigator Award Finalists: Timothy Elliott, Richard Paris, Joseph Finn, Russell Osgood, Firefighter Cancer Support Network’s Boston Cancer Prevention Pilot Program
Too many firefighters are dying of cancer, and an innovative prevention education program piloted in Boston is providing a great model for departments across the nation.
This the fourth in a series of profiles on the 50 finalists for Route Fifty’s Navigator Awards program. The first 10 finalists were from the Government Allies and Cross-Sector Partners category. Finalists 11-20 were from the Agency and Department Leadership category. Finalists 21-30 were from the Executive Leadership category. Finalists 31-40 were from the Next Generation category. Finalists 41-50 were from the Data and IT Innovators category. Explore our complete list of 50 finalists .
Firefighters face inherent dangers when battling blazes and rescuing people from burning buildings. This is a clear and present reality for any firefighting profession. But there’s an occupational hazard that’s somewhat hidden, but very much real: cancer.
Between 2002 and 2014, cancer has been blamed for 60 percent of firefighter line-of-duty deaths in the United States, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters. In Boston, the statistic is 64 percent for the same time period. That’s two-and-a-half times higher than the cancer death rate for other Boston residents. Since 1990, 190 Boston firefighters have died of cancer.
"It's a staggering number. We know that cancer is killing our members, and we're making a collaborative effort to save the lives of Boston firefighters,” Richard Paris , president of IAFF Local 718, said in a team nomination submission for a “train the trainer” cancer-prevention pilot program led by Timothy Elliott , vice president for communications with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The goal: Focus on preventive measures the department and firefighters can take to reduce exposure to carcinogens.
Taking Action Against Cancer in the Fire Service is a collaboration of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and the Boston Fire Department, championed by its team of Navigator Award finalists: Elliott and Paris, along with Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn and New Hampshire FCSN Director Russell Osgood , a Portsmouth firefighter and the program’s lead instructor.
The program not only aims to educate and protect the lives of the approximately 1,450 firefighters in Massachusetts’ largest city, it also promises to provide critical insights into how to manage the program effectively for millions more in local firefighting agencies across the nation.
Already, the program has been implemented at agencies in Massachusetts, Florida and Virginia with outstanding reviews, according to the nomination submission. It’s a good idea that holds great promise for those who regularly put their lives in danger to help their communities.
Michael Grass is executive editor of Government Executive’s Route Fifty and is based in Seattle.
NEXT STORY: Navigator Award Finalist: Beth Blauer, Center for Government Excellence and What Works Cities