Knowing occupational cancer is the primary cause of firefighter fatalities, Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen sought some specific requirements when the community safety building was being designed.

He took the time to travel and gather information on his part, to have a building designed to last, with an expedient workflow to get crews to the trucks quickly while maintaining no cross-contamination.

The building that opened in 2019 and houses the fire department, an ambulance station, and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization and serves as the EOC has all the B次元官网网址渄irty areasB次元官网网址� such as the turnout gear room and garage on separate airflow from clean areas such as the kitchen, dorm and gym.

At that time, the pair of infrared saunas with exercise bikes inside was a bit cutting edge, he told the Peninsula B次元官网网址 Review.

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While they can prevent added exposure in the hall, it proves challenging to avoid coming in contact with cancer-causing toxins in todayB次元官网网址檚 fires. Firefighters can be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer. B.C. recognizes 18 cancers as occupational diseases for firefighters.

At the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, decontamination can begin with a hose down on-site of a fire, or the large decon shower in the truck bay B次元官网网址� followed by that particular design of the new hall B次元官网网址� with a clear path B次元官网网址渄irtyB次元官网网址� to B次元官网网址渢ransitoryB次元官网网址� to B次元官网网址渃leanB次元官网网址� air.

B次元官网网址淓ven though youB次元官网网址檙e completely covered your skin and your pores open up and all the fire gases that contain all the broken down products and primarily plastics and fuels, absorb into the bloodstream,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲ithin 24 hours if you can vigorously perspire or sweat you can excrete a lot of those heavy metals, well poisons for a lack of a better term, out of your bloodstream before they get absorbed into tissues. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the rationale behind these decon saunas.B次元官网网址�

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There are strict safety protocols. Crew members are generally left a little dehydrated and tired after fighting a fire and the whole idea is to perform exercise in the heat. So, thereB次元官网网址檚 a buddy system and 15-minute maximum.

B次元官网网址淎t about the six or seven mark youB次元官网网址檙e dripping in sweat,B次元官网网址� said Mikkelsen, who is among those using the system. Not that long ago after 20 minutes inside a structure B次元官网网址渄oing overhaulB次元官网网址� in a Central Saanich blaze.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not like theyB次元官网网址檙e used every day, but remain key pieces of equipment.

B次元官网网址淎fter every structure fire where our folks have been in for a considerable amount of time we use them,B次元官网网址� Mikkelsen said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 glad weB次元官网网址檙e not in fires every day or not exposed to the products of combustion every day.B次元官网网址�

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This summer, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) celebrated a victory when Canadian parliament enacted legislation establishing a national framework for addressing occupational cancer in firefighters. According to the IAFF, in the past decade, 431 of its Canadian members have died from recognized occupational cancers.

The bill also proclaims January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Canada.