News & Press

Fire Department Cancer Reduction Program

Wed, 4 Mar 2026 19:10:00 GMT

Author: Retired Fire Chief Jeff Meston, Co-Principal Investigator Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program, University of California Davis

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the U.S. fire service today — a fact that holds true when examining total firefighter mortality, not just acute, on-duty incidents. Over the past decade, occupational cancer has consistently accounted for roughly 60–70 percent of firefighter line-of-duty deaths recognized by major fire service organizations. It has surpassed traumatic deaths and cardiac events when viewed across a firefighter’s career and post-retirement period.

This program establishes a department-wide, occupational cancer exposure reduction system. It is based on the established scientific consensus that occupational exposure as a firefighter is carcinogenic to humans, and that modern wildland fires, WUI incidents, and urban conflagrations materially increase cumulative exposure risk over a firefighter’s career. The program is prevention-focused, exposure-based, and designed to reduce dose, not merely raise awareness.

This program applies to all sworn personnel, career and volunteer, including line staff, officers, command staff, and members assigned to wildland, WUI, structural, special operations, prevention, and recovery operations.

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Designing Fire Stations with Cancer Awareness in Mind

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:26:00 GMT

Across the fire service, we are learning more about the long-term health impacts of occupational exposure—particularly the link between fireground contaminants, diesel exhaust, and increased cancer risk. While PPE, gross decontamination, and clean-cab practices are critical, one of the most powerful (and often overlooked) exposure-reduction tools is fire station design.

Modern, cancer-conscious fire stations are no longer just about response efficiency and crew comfort. They are intentionally designed to separate contamination from clean living environments, reinforce healthy behavior, and make the right choices the easy choices for firefighters.

Effective and professional project managers are essential to ensure contemporary best practices are represented in your fire stations. This article can serve as your checklist for cancer-conscious fire stations.

The Foundation: Hot, Warm, and Cold Zoning
At the core of cancer-aware station design is clear contamination zoning. Apparatus bays and exterior decontamination areas are treated as hot zones. Transition spaces—such as decontamination rooms, showers, PPE cleaning, and SCBA/EMS workspaces—form warm zones. Living areas, kitchens, dorms, offices, and fitness rooms are protected cold zones.

Effective stations provide a single, intuitive return path from the apparatus bay through gross decontamination, showering, and clean clothing before firefighters re-enter living spaces. Doors should never open directly from the bay into kitchens, dayrooms, or dorms. Visual cues—floor finishes, color changes, and signage—help reinforce these boundaries and guide daily behavior.

Diesel Exhaust: Control at the Source
Diesel exhaust remains one of the most significant chronic exposure risks in fire stations. Best practice relies on direct source-capture exhaust systems on every apparatus, interlocked to engage automatically when engines start. Apparatus bays should be maintained at negative pressure, while living spaces remain positively pressurized, ensuring airflow always moves from clean to dirty—not the reverse.

Equally important, bay HVAC systems must be completely independent from living and office systems, with no shared return air. Where feasible, drive-through bays, exterior apparatus check areas, and durable, washable bay finishes further reduce contaminant buildup.

PPE, Decontamination, and Laundry: Designed as a System
Cancer-conscious stations treat PPE handling as a workflow, not an afterthought. Exterior decontamination areas allow crews to remove bulk contamination before entering the building. Inside, dedicated decontamination vestibules, showers located directly along the return path, and warm-zone lockers support quick transitions from dirty to clean.

Turnout gear washing must comply with NFPA 1851, using dedicated extractors—not shared station laundry machines. Clean PPE storage should be physically separated from dirty handling areas and isolated from diesel exhaust and general station air. Gear drying rooms must be mechanically exhausted to the exterior, never back into occupied spaces.

Protecting the Cold Zones
Living and sleeping areas are where firefighters spend the majority of their time, and they deserve the highest level of protection. Kitchens, dorms, dayrooms, and fitness spaces should be located away from apparatus bays—ideally on a different side of the building or a separate floor.

Cold zones should have their own HVAC systems with high-efficiency filtration, positive pressurization, and materials selected for cleanability and low chemical emissions. PPE does not belong in living spaces—no hooks in hallways, no helmets in dayrooms, and no turnout gear in offices.

Systems, Monitoring, and Policy Alignment
A cancer-conscious station aligns design, systems, and policy. CO and NO₂ sensors in apparatus bays, ventilation interlocks, humidity control in gear rooms, and proper drainage for contaminated wash water all support long-term exposure reduction.

Just as important, the building must support departmental policies: shower-before-return expectations, no-gear-in-living-areas rules, clean-cab practices, and regular HVAC maintenance. When storage, circulation, and workflows are designed correctly, compliance becomes natural rather than forced.

What Chiefs Should Be Asking For
Whether planning a new station or renovating an existing one, fire chiefs should expect designers to clearly articulate how exposure reduction is being addressed. That includes zoning diagrams, mechanical narratives describing pressure relationships and filtration, PPE and decontamination workflow diagrams, and materials schedules focused on durability and low emissions.

Cancer-conscious design is not a luxury feature—it is a leadership decision. The stations we build today will shape firefighter health outcomes for decades to come.

Jeff Meston, retired Fire Chief/CalChiefs Grants Manager

Fire Station Design to Reduce Firefighter Cancer Risk

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 21:38:00 GMT

Modern firefighter cancer prevention has shifted from focusing solely on fireground exposures to understanding what happens after the incident, particularly inside the fire station. Research increasingly shows that chronic, repeated exposure to carcinogens occurs through secondary contamination pathways such as diesel exhaust infiltration, off-gassing from contaminated PPE, and the migration of soot and particulates into living and sleeping areas. Fire stations can either interrupt these pathways through intentional design or unintentionally amplify them.

Large-scale epidemiological studies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have demonstrated higher cancer incidence and mortality rates among firefighters compared to the general population. Diesel exhaust has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans, with strong associations to lung cancer and emerging links to other cancers. These findings establish the fire station as a critical control point for exposure reduction.

A foundational principle in cancer-aware fire station design is the use of contamination zoning. Stations should be organized into hot, warm, and cold zones that physically separate contaminated spaces from clean living environments. Apparatus bays and equipment repair areas represent the primary source zones. Transition areas provide controlled movement and decontamination. Living quarters are protected clean zones. This zoning approach mirrors industrial hygiene and healthcare design principles and is endorsed by national firefighter labor and safety organizations.

Diesel exhaust control is one of the most critical design considerations. Effective stations rely on direct source capture at the tailpipe combined with mechanical ventilation strategies that maintain negative pressure in apparatus bays and positive pressure in living areas. Shared HVAC systems or return air pathways between these spaces significantly increase contamination risk and should be avoided. Airflow must always move from clean to dirty spaces, not the reverse.

The design of return pathways for firefighters following incidents is equally important. Stations should include a defined decontamination corridor that guides personnel from the apparatus bay through doffing, hand and face washing, and showering before entering living spaces. This sequence should be intuitive and efficient, making the clean option the easiest option.

Personal protective equipment cleaning and handling must be treated as a health intervention rather than a convenience. Stations should include dedicated PPE laundering and drying spaces designed with appropriate ventilation, containment, and workflow separation. Turnout gear should never be stored in sleeping quarters or personal vehicles. National standards governing PPE care and ongoing research into cleaning validation reinforce the need for purpose-built facilities within stations.

Material selection and interior finishes further influence contamination persistence. Hard, non-porous, cleanable surfaces are preferred in bays and transition areas, while soft finishes should be limited to protected clean zones. Floor drains, hose bibs, and layouts that support routine wet cleaning are essential.

Finally, a cancer-aware fire station must be commissioned as a system, not simply occupied. Pressure relationships, ventilation performance, and exhaust capture systems should be tested under multiple operational conditions. Crews must be educated on how the building protects them and how certain behaviors can defeat those protections. When design, engineering, and operations align, the fire station becomes a powerful tool in reducing long-term cancer risk.

References

Daniels, R. D., et al. (2014, 2015). Mortality and cancer incidence in a pooled cohort of U.S. firefighters. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Diesel and gasoline engine exhausts and some nitroarenes. IARC Monographs, Volume 105.
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Fire Station Design: Best Practices to Reduce Exposures.
U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). Safety and Health Considerations for the Design of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Stations.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Health Hazard Evaluation Reports on diesel exhaust exposure in fire stations.
NFPA Research Foundation. Studies on turnout gear contamination and validation of cleaning procedures.
NFPA 1851. Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting.

Jeff Meston, retired Fire Chief/CalChiefs Grants Manager

UC awards $6 million to research aimed at reducing cancer among firefighters

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:27:00 GMT

The University of California has awarded nearly $6 million in state funding to advance research aimed at reducing cancer and cancer risk among firefighters. Grants were awarded to eight research teams through the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program, established in 2023 by the State legislature.

The program is administered by the University of California, which works closely with the State interagency firefighting advisory program, FIRESCOPE, to ensure funded projects address the highest priority research. California firefighters and fire service organizations will participate in the research, taking an active role in helping scientists unravel why cancer rates are so high among their ranks — and helping to design possible solutions.

Disease risk lingers after the fire is out

Cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and studies have found that firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers than the overall population, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In 2022, given the weight of the evidence, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified occupational exposure as a firefighter a Group 1 carcinogen, on par with well-established carcinogens such as tobacco and benzene. Firefighters routinely encounter smoke and other carcinogenic compounds on the job. And despite specialized protective gear like respirators, firefighters still breathe these chemicals in, ingest them, and get them in their eyes and on their skin.

“The California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program was created to help firefighters, agencies, regulators and doctors better understand the complex interplay of cancer-causing chemicals, individual biology and life history, protective equipment and workplace norms and dynamics,” says Theresa Maldonado, vice president of Research and Innovation at the University of California. “Each funded project is co-led by a UC researcher and a California firefighter, ensuring that research is asking the most vital questions to firefighter health and that the results of the research make it back to the firefighter community as soon as possible.”

There is an urgent need to find ways to reduce cancer risks for firefighters, said Brian K. Rice, president of California Professional Firefighters, a union representing 35,000 firefighters, paramedics and EMTs that advocated for research funding at the state legislature. The new grant program reflects California’s commitment to do just that.

“The high rate of cancer cases and deaths among firefighters is tragic and unacceptable. These professionals put themselves into dangerous situations to provide essential, lifesaving services to Californians,” says Rice. “They deserve a fuller understanding of the long-term health risks their duties entail and the steps they can take to protect themselves. I’m pleased to see the funding that we advocated for be directed to these critical projects that will help keep our firefighters safer.”

“Without more research into the biological, chemical and social aspects of carcinogenic agents on the job, California's firefighters will continue to face an elevated incidence of cancer,” says Brian Fennessy, chief of the Orange County Fire Authority and FIRESCOPE chair. “We’re proud to partner with the University of California to support rigorous, community-engaged, solutions-focused research that will help us bring down rates of disease among firefighters.”

Learn more about how these expert research teams will help California firefighters stay healthy.

Understanding occupational exposures to PFAS among Orange County firefighters

Co-principal investigators: Derek Biering, captain at the Orange County Fire Authority, and Veronica Vieira, professor of environmental and occupational health at the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are the so-called “forever chemicals” that accumulate in our environment and in our bodies, and growing evidence points to their links to cancer. Some firefighter gear contains PFAS, and PFAS can also be present in smoke from burning structures. Studies have shown that PFAS levels are higher in firefighters than in the population at large. This research team will study PFAS exposure, accumulation and cancer risk by gathering and analyzing data from a thousand firefighters exposed to active fires and indoor environments, such as from fire stations and fire trucks. The findings will be shared with the firefighters to inform cancer risk mitigation approaches.

Examining longitudinal changes in DNA methylation in firefighters exposed to products of combustion

Co-principal investigators: Thomas Sullivan, firefighter paramedic at Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Janine LaSalle, professor of medical microbiology and immunology at UC Davis

Can certain changes to DNA serve as early warning signs of cancer? To find out, researchers will study blood samples from firefighters collected before and after training exercises, analyzing samples for a type of DNA change called DNA methylation, and seek links to exposure to harmful chemicals. The study will compare the effects of different exposure levels by analyzing samples from new recruits and experienced instructors who face different frequencies of exposure. Investigators aim to develop a blood test to detect biomarkers of cancer caused by repeated workplace chemical exposures. This project aims to create practical solutions that can be quickly adopted to protect firefighters' health.

Firefighter indirect smoke exposure

Co-principal investigators: Gerald May, president of San Jose Fire Fighters IAFF Local 230, and Aris Polyzos, research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Firefighters’ chemical exposures don’t always end when they leave the scene. These chemicals can follow firefighters back to the station, or even to their homes, if their gear isn’t adequately cleaned. This research team will test items and surfaces where these chemical residues are likeliest to accumulate, like protective gear, trucks and fire stations. They’ll then do lab tests to determine whether the chemicals they find cause cancer, and will propose and test methods for cleaning or handling contaminated gear to guide new workplace norms and regulations.

The California firefighter cancer research study: Harmonizing cohorts to elucidate cancer risks

Co-principal investigators: Jamie Gabriel, fire captain with Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Shehnaz Hussain, professor of public health sciences at UC Davis

Chemicals in smoke and gear may not be the only thing causing high cancer rates in firefighters. They’re also subject to physical, mental, and behavioral hazards linked to cancer, including sleep deficiencies, metabolic imbalances and stress. But little research has been done into how to protect firefighters from these factors. This research team will follow a group of 647 California firefighters for a year. Participants will provide blood samples, body composition analysis, diet assessments, questionnaires, clinical tests, and continuous monitoring of physical activity, heart rate, and sleep. Cancer risk and protective factors will be examined together with key cancer biomarkers that can gauge the importance of each individual and combination of factors on cancer risk. Results could inform firefighters about their perceived susceptibility to disease, empowering and motivating workplace regulation and behavioral changes aimed at reducing risks.

Firefighters’ perceptions and behavioral patterns: a social science approach to cancer prevention

Co-principal investigators Andrew Violante, fire engineer and paramedic with the San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association, and Wei Zhao, professor of sociology at UC Riverside

Firefighters will have a harder time protecting themselves from cancer-causing exposures if they don’t understand how those exposures happen or if workplace culture doesn’t prioritize their health and safety. The project will investigate how firefighters perceive their cancer risks and the main causes of cancer in their work; how personal background, group dynamics, and organizational culture affect how firefighters use, store and clean their gear; and whether organizational initiatives and educational programs for cancer prevention actually work. Through observations, interviews and surveys, researchers will generate important insights on firefighters’ perceptions of cancer risk and behavioral patterns impact their carcinogenic exposures. The team will use these insights to develop workplace interventions to enhance cancer risk awareness and prevention.

Identifying carcinogenic chemical exposures in firefighters to reduce cancer risk

Co-principal investigators: Jeffrey Kimura, fire captain at Los Angeles County Fire Department and Brigitte Gomperts, professor of pediatrics and pulmonary medicine UCLA.

Scientists know that on-the-job chemical exposures can cause cancer in firefighters, but they don’t understand exactly how the cancer develops or which chemicals are the most hazardous.S o researchers plan to purchase new firefighter jackets and recruit firefighters to wear, monitor and track what their gear is exposed to. Researchers will extract and quantify chemicals from the jackets and expose them to human airway cells to look for cancer effects on the cells, aiming to understand how firefighter gear might be involved in increasing the risk of cancer in firefighters.

Characterization of mutagen-driven landscapes and signatures of tumors arising in firefighters

Co-principal investigators: Jeff Meston, executive director of the California Fire Chiefs Association and John McPherson, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis

Some cancer-causing chemicals firefighters encounter damage their DNA, and that damage can take years to accumulate. The project team will study tissue from firefighters diagnosed with cancer. They’ll analyze DNA from cells within tumors, looking for tell-tale signs that each chemical leaves behind. The goal is to identify which of the many carcinogens firefighters are exposed to over their career are most likely to cause the kind of DNA damage that leads to cancer, which will enable better practices for limiting exposure through training and changes to protocols and gear.

Individualized exposure assessment of firefighters to airborne carcinogens

Co-principal investigators: Ryan Tripp, fire captain, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Cristina Davis, professor of Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis

Firefighters frequently train on practice fires to keep their skills sharp — but these exercises also add to their chemical exposures. Building on an existing collaboration to develop air sampling tools firefighters use on calls, this team will now deploy these tools during training, and collect samples of firefighters’ exhaled breath, urine, and a swab of their skin. That will enable researchers to pinpoint which trainings caused chemical exposure and change these activities to reduce the risk. Then, they will educate other firefighters across California on how to make training safer.

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California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program - RFP

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 22:20:00 GMT

The California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program is pleased to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2024 awards. The State of California has designated $7 million to the University of California (UC) Office of the President, per AB 700, for community-based participatory research projects to prevent and reduce the incidence of cancer among California firefighters. Administered by the UC Research Grants Program Office, this competitive grant program invites applications from teams of CA-based firefighters and UC academics for research awards.

These grants will support research to reduce cancer among firefighters by examining the hallmarks of cancer and key characteristics of carcinogens as they relate to firefighters’ occupational exposures, characterizing biomarkers of cancer susceptibility or risk in firefighters, understanding carcinogenic exposures among firefighters, and informing intervention strategies to lower risks of developing cancer in firefighters.

There are two award categories:

California Firefighter Cancer Prevention Pilot Grants: up to $300,000 direct costs over 2 years to lay the groundwork for future, larger research efforts, supporting the initial phase of the project, including strengthening collaborations, development of tools and methods, testing feasibility, and collecting pilot data.
California Firefighter Cancer Prevention Full Grants: up to $750,000 direct costs over 3 years to support robust partnerships with fully developed research plans that include supporting preliminary data; carried out by a well-integrated team of scientific and fire service members with demonstrated record of success conducting research.

Please see the Request for Proposals for other eligibility and submission requirements.

Key Dates:

Required Letters of Intent (LOI) - Due: Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 12:00 pm PT
Invited Applications - Due: Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 12:00 pm PT

Informational Webinar:

An applicant webinar will be held on January 29th, 2024, from 1-2 PM Pacific Time. Attending the webinar is highly recommended, especially if you are new to SmartSimple, the application submission portal.

To attend, please visit the following webinar Registration Page.

Technical Assistance:

Technical assistance is available to help applicants find an appropriate partner, Co-Principal Investigator, and with other aspects of their application. LOIs may be submitted with only one Co-Principal Investigator named. Note that the invited applications will require that both Co-Principal Investigators be named and have developed a memorandum of understanding for their partnership.

For technical support in finding a project partner send an email to the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program at firefighter-cancer@ucop.edu.

For any other questions regarding the program or application process, please also contact the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program.

Applicants are encouraged to check the program webpage for any updates or announcements while the application cycle is open.