(Ottawa) The Government of Canada, with the help of stakeholders and other levels of government, is developing a national framework to improve access to cancer prevention and treatment for Canadian firefighters.
Health Minister Mark Holland said in a statement that this framework will provide common direction for stakeholders, including health professionals, scientists and the firefighting community, to address the challenges posed by cancers linked to Fight against fires.
Data released by the department indicates that cancer accounts for more than 86% of all service-related deaths among Canadian firefighters. Additionally, firefighters are 9% more likely to develop cancer and 14% more likely to die from it than the general population.
The ministry recalls that in 2023, firefighters met the challenges associated with an unprecedented forest fire season in Canada, in addition to acting as first responders in emergency situations, or by risking their lives to save that of others.
Canada has some 32,000 professional firefighters and 100,000 volunteer firefighters.
The Government of Canada reports that in 2021 it implemented an action plan to protect firefighters from exposure to harmful chemicals during residential fires, but adds that more work remains to do.