Taking action against cancer in the fire service

Conference is deeply concerned at indicative results from recent reports into
Firefighter cancer rates.

The most recent of those reports ‘Taking Action Against Cancer in the Fire Service’
was published in August 2013 as the result of a study undertaken in April 2013. The
cross-party participants in that study came from varying backgrounds which included
legal, medical, social research and the fire service including chief officers, firefighters,
fire training directors and Unions.

The participants from the Fire Service came from different backgrounds: wholetime,
wholetime retained and retained. This is therefore an extensively researched
document and whilst it is a study of firefighters in America, Conference will agree that
cancer does not recognise International boundaries and that the products of
combustion from a fire in the UK would be in most cases identical to the products of
combustion from a fire in the USA or anywhere else in the world.

Multiple studies have repeatedly demonstrated credible evidence and biologic
credibility for statistically higher rates of multiple types of cancer in firefighters
compared to the general population.

The report ‘Taking Action Against Cancer in the Fire Service’ identifies potential
contributory factors and recommends control measures. These control measures are
not routinely applied by Firefighters in the UK due to a lack of education and
information.

Conference instructs the Executive Council to liaise with the National Employers to
organise a large scale representative study of UK Firefighters to assess the levels of
cancers in UK Firefighters. This study should, were possible, include retired
firefighters.

Conference further instructs the Executive Council to issue an immediate All Members
circular advising FBU members of the control measures contained within the report
‘Taking Action Against Cancer in the Fire Service’.