Fire Department offers free cancer screening to first responders

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Firefighters need to remain proactive in keeping their health and wellness more than the general public, according to health officials.

According to the Honolulu Fire Department, firefighters have a 9% higher chance of developing cancer and are 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general public.

“We can get exposed to chemicals through automobile accidents. All of the fires that we go to as well as hazardous material incidents,” stated HFD firefighter Kyle Kennedy-Pocock. “Our equipment has PFAS compounds in them that expose us to these chemicals and these are the things that we wear to keep us safe, but it kind of endangers us as well.”

Back in 2023, approximately 860 firefighters tested for cancer with Galleri, an early detection test through blood. HFD offered another round of free cancer screenings to its first responders on Monday.

“We detect before there are symptoms,” said Jessica Teel, Galleri Customer Enablement team for First Responders Associate Director. “We’re searching for over 50 different types of cancer. We’re able to pinpoint if something is flagged at the location and possibly type of cancers.”

This year, HFD partnered with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and the Hawaii Dermatological Association to also provide free skin cancer visual screenings for first responders.

“Finding out stage one melanoma is 99% curable. When you get up to stage four, it drops significantly by at least three quarters,” said Russell Osgood, FCSN Education, Outreach & Research Vice President.

Screenings are vital to increasing chances of survival, especially when cancer is detected in its early stages, per HFD.