Firefighters’ Environments Are Dangerous
Health and wellness need to remain an ongoing priority in the firefighting industry. With health risks caused by dangerous fires and fumes from smoke and exhaust from emergency vehicles, firefighters’ environments are increasingly dangerous. Ward Diesel Filter Systems works to mitigate firefighter occupational health risks head on with our diesel filter systems, which eliminate toxic exhaust particulates from the environment whenever a fire truck is running.
Firefighter Occupational Cancer Statistics
According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, “Firefighters have a nine percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, according to research by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).”
In a 2013 study by NIOSH, firefighters were found to be at a greater risk for developing a wide variety of cancers, including a 100 percent increased risk of developing mesothelioma and a 129 percent increased risk of dying from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
There is no shortage of evidence and statistics proving that firefighters’ greatest threat to their health and safety is the increased risk for the development of occupational cancer. While on duty, firefighters are continually exposed to toxic chemicals and particulates while on scene at an emergency, but also while they are back at the station. Understanding the risks and causes behind the increased potential for firefighters to develop various cancers is essential to mitigating cancer development and developing proper safety procedures.
Causes of firefighter occupational cancer:
- Increased exposure to toxic particulates from diesel vehicle exhaust while on scene
- Increased exposure to toxic particulates from diesel vehicle exhaust while idling at the station
- Increased exposure to toxic chemicals released during the burning of materials at a fire
- Increased exposure to toxic chemicals released during the Decon process post emergency
Regular exposure to diesel exhaust particulates is a leading cause behind the increased risk of firefighter cancer because harmful chemicals are continuously produced anytime the vehicle is on, and chemical particulates expand through the environment at an emergency scene or back at the fire station, contaminating food, clothes, PPE, furniture etc. Those harmful carcinogens are absorbed into the body through the skin or breathed into the lungs once masks and protective gear are removed, remain in the air at a fire station, and linger on exposed surfaces unless properly cleaned and decontaminated.
The NO SMOKE Diesel Particulate Filter System
Ward Diesel Filter Systems is dedicated to improving firefighters’ health and reducing the causes of occupational cancer. Our team is proud to have supported the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in the development of a 2018 and the updated 2021 Lavender Ribbon Report, focusing on “11 Best Practices for Preventing Firefighter Cancer.” Ward Diesel Filter Systems is actively involved in firefighter occupational health and occupational cancer studies and provides cancer prevention resources for fire departments to take advantage of.
Ward Diesel Filter Systems offers our NO SMOKE filter systems, an automatic and vehicle mounted exhaust extraction system for your station and on scene applications. We offer three lines of our NO SMOKE system to meet your fire department and vehicle application needs:
- NO SMOKE: For diesel vehicles manufactured in 2006 and earlier
- NO SMOKE 2: For diesel vehicles manufactured in 2007, 2010, and newer
- NO SMOKE Gas: For gas vehicles, modeled on the NO SMOKE 2 system
The NO SMOKE vehicle exhaust extraction system is the best and only vehicle mounted exhaust protection available on the market today. Anytime your vehicle is turned on and creating exhaust fumes, NO SMOKE automatically engages to filter out harmful carcinogens and particulates from your truck’s exhaust. You no longer have to worry about hooking up exhaust hoses once your truck is parked in the station bay or be concerned about the amounts of exhaust produced on the scene of an emergency that is breathed in by firefighters, other emergency responders, victims, or bystanders. NO SMOKE engages automatically so you and your crew can focus on eliminating fires and saving victims as effectively as possible, without the threat of increased exposure to dangerous chemicals hanging over you.
The NO SMOKE vehicle exhaust extraction system helps to keep your fire station free from unseen toxic particulates, reducing career and volunteer firefighter exposure, and works to eliminate exposure while on scene at an emergency. These two situations are the leading causes of firefighters’ increased exposure to toxic vehicle exhaust fumes. NO SMOKE eliminates these exposure risks, thereby reducing firefighter occupational cancer exposure and rates.
Firefighter Health & Safety
Ward Diesel Filter Systems is a proud supporter of our firefighter heroes and recognizes the importance of implementing practices and products to maintain their health and safety, reducing their increased exposure rates to toxic, cancer causing particulates. Our NO SMOKE vehicle exhaust extraction system automatically filters out harmful chemicals whenever the vehicle is running to keep your crew safe at the station and while responding to an emergency.
Interested in ordering NO SMOKE systems for your fire department? Contact us today to get started!