Education for First Responders

 

Did you know firefighters are at a 9% higher risk of developing cancer and 14% higher risk of dying from it compared to the rest of the population?*

 

Our First Responder Education Program is named after an important member of our survivor community who we lost in February of 2022, after a 4 year battle with colon cancer–Deputy Chief Bruce DeArk of the Jeffersonville Fire Department. Bruce served the city of Jeffersonville for 21 years, and his cancer diagnosis and death has since been accredited to hazardous exposures he encountered while serving as a firefighter. 

Today, we honor Bruce’s life and legacy by traveling to departments across Kentucky and Southern Indiana, educating first responder crews about basic, life-saving measures they can take to prevent colorectal cancer. Read more about Bruce’s story here.

*Source: NIOSH

Learn the basic life-saving measures first responders can take to protect themselves and lower their risk of a cancer diagnosis.

  1. Use particulate hoods.
  2. Wash your gloves after every use with Dawn dish soap.
  3. Clean your skin after every shift with wipes.
  4. Host a training at your department with our community educator. 
  5. Share screening resources and reminders with your crew. 

 

Would your crew like a cancer prevention education? We’ll come to you! 

We are currently scheduling cancer-prevention training with first responder groups across Kentucky and Southern Indiana. If your department is interested in training from our community educator, please contact James Cripps at jgchfd@yahoo.com.