For many, cancer is feared as the bane of our existence.

For firefighters, it is more so.

It is something of a Catch-22 that the garb meant to protect a firefighter from flames might also increase the risk of a cancer diagnosis.

Still, it is a risk firefighters willingly accept in their efforts to save lives and protect property.

The increased risk comes as no surprise to firefighters, according to Purcell Fire Chief Greg Cypert.

“They are taught that in lots of different classes,” Cypert said. “All firefighters understand. We know it’s a risk we take.”

Knowing the risk, firefighters keep a close watch on their health, Cypert said.

And they also learn about steps to alleviate the risk.

For example, there was a time years ago when bunker gear was never cleaned.

Now, as soon as firefighters return from a fire, they strip off the bunker gear, shower and put on a clean uniform.

The gear is washed in a special appliance called an extractor. It looks – and performs like – a washing machine on steroids and uses a special detergent.

When clean, the gear is placed on hangers in a walk-in dryer.

The whole process takes five to six hours with the extractor cleaning three sets of gear at a time.

On average, 10 to 15 firefighters will respond to a house fire.

Cleaning that many sets of bunker gear takes anywhere from 16-1/2 to 30 hours.

The extractor and dryer were purchased five or six years ago with a grant the department obtained.

“We’re a lot more careful now than 30 years ago,” Cypert said.

The cancer threat has been felt, even in a small department like Purcell.

In the spring of 2015, Cypert’s brother-in-law and fellow firefighter, Capt. Joe Heck, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Heck died 16 months later on Aug. 17, 2016.

As such, Heck became a statistic – one among the 70 percent of career firefighters whose line-of-duty deaths in 2016 were due to cancer. By comparison, heart disease was cited in 18 percent of the deaths.

Those figures are from data  amassed by the International Association of Fire Fighters.

According to the CDC and National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, firefighters overall have a 9 percent greater risk of a cancer diagnosis and 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the country’s population as a whole.

The list of firefighter risk factors versus general population risk factors is damning and includes:

Testicular cancer, 2.02 times greater. Mesothelioma, 2 times greater. Multiple myeloma, 1.53 times greater. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, 1.51 times greater. Skin cancer, 1.39 times greater. Malignant melanoma and brain cancer, 1.31 times greater. Prostate cancer, 1.28 times greater. Colon cancer, 1.21 times greater. Leukemia, 1.14 times greater.

Some firefighters have filed class-action lawsuits against the manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used in bunker gear and fire fighting foam.

The PFAS are purported carcinogens.

Cypert doesn’t fault just the PFAS, which are sometimes called “forever” chemicals.

“Everything now is synthetic,” he said. “There’s no telling what we’re breathing (at a fire).”

The big push now, according to the chief, is to ensure the gear is properly cleaned after every use.

Cypert said the bunker gear is only good for 10 years and then must be replaced.

The department owns 35 sets of bunker gear for its 12 full-time firefighters and 23 volunteer firefighters. The gear is replaced at a rate of five to six sets a year.

When purchased, the department’s bunker gear was the best available. Now, due to constant improvements by manufacturers, Cypert ranks it “close to the top of the line.”

“You can buy all different grades of gear,” he added.

As a further safety measure, the chief said it’s standard department practice to call for an ambulance to stand by whenever fire trucks roll on a fire.

The ambulance personnel are there to monitor firefighters for such things as heat issues, dehydration and blood pressure.

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225 W. Main St. Purcell, OK 73080 Phone: 405-527-2126