SCOTTSDALE — The two firefighters in heavy-duty khaki uniforms decorated with fluorescent yellow stripes approached a tall, red tool attached to a black tripod. The names Bruce and Schopp were emblazoned on their helmets. The red tool, officially named the StormStick, was connected to a yellow fire hydrant outside the Scottsdale Fire Department Regional Training Facility.
Another firefighter wrenched open the hydrant cap. When he did, a torrent of water gushed out, slamming onto their uniforms, washing off grime and dirt.
Each of the firefighters took turns using dish soap and clean water from a neon yellow bucket to scrub each other’s uniforms clean.
Fire departments around the country implemented this intricate cleaning procedure over the last few years. Experts hope it will prevent firefighters from getting cancer.
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When firefighters leave a burning building, they are often exposed to harmful toxins, experts said, that cause cancer, the leading cause in firefighter deaths worldwide.
Sasha Weller, a fire captain with the Scottsdale Fire Department, said that years ago, when he first started on the job, there was a different culture in the fire service.
The StormStick, a new cleaning system to help prevent occupational cancer exposure for firefights, is demonstrated earlier this month at the Scottsdale Fire Department Regional Training Facility.
Cancer awareness was not as prevalent as it is today, he said.
Firefighters would wait hours, days or even sometimes weeks before decontaminating their gear.
“There was a badge of honor to have your gear being very dirty and your helmet being very dirty,” said Weller, who is also the department’s health and safety officer. “It meant that you’d fought some fires and you had some street cred, so to speak.”
Cancer rates among firefighters are increasing worldwide, but the effect is being felt close to home. Five firefighters at the Scottsdale Fire Department are currently battling cancer, officials said.
In response to the threat, fire stations worldwide are doing everything they can to keep their firefighters safe and healthy. The StormStick decontamination is one step in that effort.
“Our firefighters are really exposed to really, really hazardous chemicals inside burning buildings,” said Weller.
Modern construction materials use less natural fibers and more glues, laminates and hydrocarbons, officials said. When these materials catch on fire, they release toxins and carcinogens, officials added.
“When those things burn, they create a terrible amount of contaminants that our firefighters are exposed to,” Weller said.
That’s what’s driving the bulk of the cancer issues that firefighters are having, said Melissa Kowalski, CEO of the 100 Club of Arizona. “So we’re playing defense in that game.”
The 100 Club is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance, safety equipment and support to Arizona’s first responders and their families.
Kowalski began as a volunteer at the organization and is married to a firefighter in Chandler. The organization’s efforts aim to keep firefighters safe, Kowalski said. It wants to prevent their risk of cancer by purchasing kits with tools such as the StormStick.
The 100 Club of Arizona purchased 100 StormSticks for stations throughout the state, six of which are in Scottsdale. They plan on purchasing a StormStick for every truck in the state.
“Since there’s such a high increase of cancer deaths among firefighters, we want to purchase one for every truck in the state to be able to decrease cancer for our firefighters,” she said.
Taylor Lombardi, a captain with the Scottsdale Fire Department, said that he has firsthand experience losing his colleagues to the disease. Lombardi said he appreciates how far cancer prevention has come in just the past 12 years.
“It’s an important procedure,” Lombardi said. “It’s something that we all, unfortunately, have seen across the valley and across the nation, seeing all of our members and brothers and sisters end up coming down with the illness.”
Firefighting comes with risks. Lombardi said he and his colleagues know what they signed up for. He appreciates the department’s efforts to ensure safety and long-term health.
Even after the job is done.
“We understand that there’s inherent risks with firefighting, anything that we can do to mitigate those risks is incredibly important,” said Lombardi.
