Dear Brother/Sister,
DECON: TO PREVENT AND PROTECT – PUBLIC LAUNCH
Learn How to Better Protect Yourself from Toxic Fire Contaminants and Help to Prevent Cancer and Other Diseases
Every Firefighter will know a colleague who is battling or has battled with cancer. We can take steps to change this. The Fire Brigades Union has been working with Professor Anna Stec and the University of Central Lancashire to better understand the links between firefighting and cancer and what can be done to reduce and prevent exposure to harmful contaminants. The work is funded by the Firefighters 100 Lottery fund.
Professor Stec and her team published an interim best practice report into the research at the end of last year, Minimising firefighters' exposure to toxic fire effluents, which includes best practice recommendations to help protect the lives and health of firefighters. The project will now continue into the next phase, and members will be kept up to date at every stage.
One of the recommendations for Fire and Rescue Services in the best practice report was that all FRS personnel should receive regular and up-to-date training on the harmful health effects of exposure to toxic fire effluents, and how these exposures can be reduced, minimised or eliminated. We are pleased to report that the Union has now developed a training and awareness package, with the help of Professor Stec, consisting of video, print and online resources to assist FRSs to deliver the recommendation. The package is called DECON: To Prevent & Protect.
DECON will be launched publically 7 September 2021 at 3pm, by way of a webinar and premiere streamed live from a fire station. All those in the sector will have the chance to watch the training film for the first time, as well as to hear from special guests and experts
All firefighters, FBU members and all within the sector are asked to join the live public launch which can be viewed on the FBU Facebook account here: www.facebook.com/FireBrigadesUnion1918
Or the FBU Twitter account here: www.twitter.com/fbunational
WHAT IS DECON?
Fire contaminants can increase firefighters’ risk of developing cancer and other diseases, but making simple changes can help you to protect your health, co-workers and family.
DECON encourages you to take actions before, during, and after every fire incident to help reduce your exposure to contaminants and prevent cancer and other diseases.
The training package consists of four short educational videos to watch and discuss with your co-workers, which are available on the DECON website. Posters and stickers will also be made available to put up around your workplace to reinforce the eleven habits you will learn during the training.
We will be asking all fire and rescue services to officially adopt and deliver this training to firefighters all across the UK.
WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE THE TRAINING?
Cancer is a very sad reality for many in our profession. Our research with UCLan has found that UK firefighters are four times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the general population and at a young age.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ONCE YOU’VE COMPLETED THE TRAINING?
Firefighters’ health and safety is our top priority. We have more work to do to understand contaminants – and your input can help us to make a positive change to firefighters’ futures.
DECON isn’t a one-time event. It’s a change in behaviour for good – and we need every firefighter across the UK to step up and commit to DECON throughout their career.
Once you have completed the training, pledge to follow the DECON habits and spread the word about DECON by signing and sharing the DECON rollcall on our website and talking about the training with other firefighters. This will help us to reach more firefighters and, ultimately, save more lives.
You can have a further impact by taking a few minutes of your time to register for the Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry. By doing so, you will help us to better understand the links between firefighting and cancer.
Together, we can make positive changes and shape the future of the fire and rescue service.
To take the training, fill out the registry or to find out more about DECON and the FBU’s research into contaminants, head to www.fbu.org.uk/decon
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Attend the public launch 7 September and encourage others to do the same
- Visit the DECON webpage
- Encourage your FRS to adopt and deliver the DECON training package
- Watch the training videos and change your habits
- Discuss DECON with work mates and at branch meetings
- Put up DECON posters and stickers around your workplace
- Complete the DECON pledge
- Fill out the Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry
- Support the ongoing research by playing the Firefighters100 Lottery
We want to change the statistics and make firefighting safer – and you can play a part in that. By following DECON, you can make a real difference to your health and decrease the chances of developing a serious disease later in life. With DECON, we can save firefighters’ lives.
We are extremely proud to continue this ground-breaking project, and we dedicate it to all those in the Fire and Rescue Service whose lives have, and continue to be, affected by cancer and other diseases.
Yours in unity,
Riccardo la Torre
National Officer
