HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—Lines of fire trucks arrived at a training facility April 30, bringing dozens of Orange County firefighters to receive free skin cancer screenings.
“Occupational cancer is so big in the fire service right now. It’s the number one line-of-duty death for us,” Scott Jennie, with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network told The Epoch Times.
Nearly all skin cancer can be cured if detected and treated at an early stage.
The screenings were made possible by a collaboration between the support network, a Sacramento-based dermatology organization called CalDerm, Vista firefighter Mark Gaffney and the Andy Valenta Melanoma Foundation founded by Caylie Valenta, who lost her firefighter husband Andy in 2022 due to a rare and aggressive form of melanoma.
Since its launching, the foundation has helped provide free screenings to over 1,500 firefighters in Southern California, according to Valenta.
Two CalDerm dermatologists performed the 10 to 15 minute screenings examining moles, birthmarks, and pigmented areas with abnormal traits such as color, size, shape, or texture. Any areas of concern are always referred for a biopsy.
In 2022, all forms of cancer accounted for over 70 percent of firefighter deaths, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Jennie said environmental factors play a higher risk for cancer amongst firefighters.
“All the building materials are man-made and [use] synthetics … so it’s creating a very toxic soup,” he said. “We want them to be advocates of their own [health] and be proactive in their healthy well-being.”
The Huntington Beach Firefighters Association presented a $2,000 check, during the recent screenings, to the Andy Valenta Melanoma Foundation in support of its ongoing work.
