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Calling all Firefighters: The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Oct 17, 2023

The National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is recruiting firefighters to join the NFR so that we can better understand the link between firefighting and cancer.

Firefighters are exposed to chemicals on the fireground that could increase their risk of developing cancer. There are many unanswered questions about how cancer risk may vary across our nation’s diverse fire service.

By joining the NFR, you can:

  • Help protect your brothers and sisters in the fire service from developing cancer
  • Help lessen the impact of cancer on firefighters’ families and friends
  • Pave the way for new health and safety measures to keep the next generation of firefighters safe
  • Improve understanding of cancer risk among minority, female, and volunteer firefighters, as well as groups like wildland firefighters

Who can join?
The NFR is open to all U.S. firefighters, not just those with a previous diagnosis of cancer.

  • Active, former, and retired firefighters
  • Career, paid-on-call, and volunteer firefighters
  • Structural firefighters
  • Wildland firefighters
  • Industrial firefighters
  • Military firefighters
  • Instructors
  • Fire investigators
  • Other fire service members

Is my information and data safe?
Privacy and data security are top priorities for the NFR. Identifying information (like name and date of birth) are protected by an Assurance of Confidentiality. Data are protected by numerous safeguards that meet strict Federal guidelines.

For more information, watch the video,
How Will the National Firefighter Registry Protect My Data?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIIDD4i7XxM

How to Register?
Go to secure web portal https://nfr.cdc.gov/

Participation is voluntary. Registration will take about 30 minutes.
The NFR is a long-term project that will include voluntary, but important, follow-up questionnaires.

For more information, visit the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer 

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Cancer Support Group.

LisaY1 | @lisay1 | Nov 16, 2023

I have a 22 year old daughter and 20 year old son who are both volunteer firefighters. Son is an EMT studying to be a Paramedic then on further in the same field. Daughter is studying to be a Forest Ranger. Give some prayers for them. Thank you.

REPLY
1 reply
piraterrr | @piraterrr | Nov 30, 2023

Hi Colleen. I stumbled across this thread while looking at other stuff for family members. I appreciate your concern about FF's. I am a retired career FF from NM. I retired in 2020. I am also previous military. I found your post relevant to my situation. Recently, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had a resection done about a month ago. It looks like it was caught early and was in stage 1. I am grateful. I have saved your link and will be in the process of registering with the NFR for cancer. Thank you for all your help in this area. I am hopeful that I can contribute a little bit to the discussion and maybe help others that might be in a similar boat!

REPLY
2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @piraterrr "Hi Colleen. I stumbled across this thread while looking at other stuff for family members. I..." + (show)
@piraterrr

Hi Colleen. I stumbled across this thread while looking at other stuff for family members. I appreciate your concern about FF's. I am a retired career FF from NM. I retired in 2020. I am also previous military. I found your post relevant to my situation. Recently, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had a resection done about a month ago. It looks like it was caught early and was in stage 1. I am grateful. I have saved your link and will be in the process of registering with the NFR for cancer. Thank you for all your help in this area. I am hopeful that I can contribute a little bit to the discussion and maybe help others that might be in a similar boat!

Jump to this post

Welcome, @piraterrr. I invite you to also join the Colorectal Cancer Support Group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/colorectal-cancer/

I'm so glad that your cancer was caught early. How is the recovery from surgery going?

REPLY
1 reply
piraterrr | @piraterrr | Nov 30, 2023
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome, @piraterrr. I invite you to also join the Colorectal Cancer Support Group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/colorectal-cancer/ I'm..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Welcome, @piraterrr. I invite you to also join the Colorectal Cancer Support Group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/colorectal-cancer/

I'm so glad that your cancer was caught early. How is the recovery from surgery going?

Jump to this post

I don't think that I can complain too much! Things have gone really well, and the doctors have been happy so far. Thank you for the additional group link!

REPLY
joann4 | @joann4 | Dec 12, 2023
In reply to @lisay1 "I have a 22 year old daughter and 20 year old son who are both volunteer..." + (show)
@lisay1

I have a 22 year old daughter and 20 year old son who are both volunteer firefighters. Son is an EMT studying to be a Paramedic then on further in the same field. Daughter is studying to be a Forest Ranger. Give some prayers for them. Thank you.

Jump to this post

Wow! So young and dedicated. You must be very proud of them. I'm a retired FDNY FireMarshal and have always admired Volunteer firefighters. I hope they'll both sign up for the National Firefighter Registry. In addition to recording information about exposures which can help prevent firefighter cancers in the future, the survey also, indirectly, gives advice on how firefighters can protect themselves now, while on the fire ground.
I hope you and your family have a great Holiday Season.

REPLY
1 reply
joann4 | @joann4 | Dec 12, 2023
In reply to @piraterrr "Hi Colleen. I stumbled across this thread while looking at other stuff for family members. I..." + (show)
@piraterrr

Hi Colleen. I stumbled across this thread while looking at other stuff for family members. I appreciate your concern about FF's. I am a retired career FF from NM. I retired in 2020. I am also previous military. I found your post relevant to my situation. Recently, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had a resection done about a month ago. It looks like it was caught early and was in stage 1. I am grateful. I have saved your link and will be in the process of registering with the NFR for cancer. Thank you for all your help in this area. I am hopeful that I can contribute a little bit to the discussion and maybe help others that might be in a similar boat!

Jump to this post

Hi piraterrr (Cool moniker, by the way.) Thank you for your service. I hope you make a speedy and full recovery so that you can continue to enjoy your retirement. I'm glad you've discovered the Mayo Clinic support Line. I, too, am a firefighter-FDNY, ret. I have been tasked by NIOSH (Nat'l Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) to spread the word about the NFR and appreciate any help you can give. Women firefighters, especially, are encouraged to enroll and fill out the survey. In the past, women and other minorities have been underrepresented in these kinds of studies. In addition to helping scientists design protocols to prevent firefighter cancers in the future, the survey questions actually provide current information on how to protect oneself on the fire ground now! Thank you for offering to help others, even as you continue to recover.

REPLY
1 reply
LisaY1 | @lisay1 | Dec 12, 2023
In reply to @joann4 "Wow! So young and dedicated. You must be very proud of them. I'm a retired FDNY..." + (show)
@joann4

Wow! So young and dedicated. You must be very proud of them. I'm a retired FDNY FireMarshal and have always admired Volunteer firefighters. I hope they'll both sign up for the National Firefighter Registry. In addition to recording information about exposures which can help prevent firefighter cancers in the future, the survey also, indirectly, gives advice on how firefighters can protect themselves now, while on the fire ground.
I hope you and your family have a great Holiday Season.

Jump to this post

Thank you for your kind words. I am proud (and amazed as well-lol). You have accomplished so much and are very admirable!! Your hard work and dedication means a lot to many. It's so nice to see a woman has moved up so high in the ranks of a male dominated occupation.
I believe they are signed up but will make sure. I appreciate the helpful information.
Best wishes to you ❤️

REPLY
piraterrr | @piraterrr | Dec 13, 2023
In reply to @joann4 "Hi piraterrr (Cool moniker, by the way.) Thank you for your service. I hope you make..." + (show)
@joann4

Hi piraterrr (Cool moniker, by the way.) Thank you for your service. I hope you make a speedy and full recovery so that you can continue to enjoy your retirement. I'm glad you've discovered the Mayo Clinic support Line. I, too, am a firefighter-FDNY, ret. I have been tasked by NIOSH (Nat'l Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) to spread the word about the NFR and appreciate any help you can give. Women firefighters, especially, are encouraged to enroll and fill out the survey. In the past, women and other minorities have been underrepresented in these kinds of studies. In addition to helping scientists design protocols to prevent firefighter cancers in the future, the survey questions actually provide current information on how to protect oneself on the fire ground now! Thank you for offering to help others, even as you continue to recover.

Jump to this post

Hello joann4, thank you as well for your service and for what you are doing with this program! I got a little sidetracked getting registered after I needed to apply for the login.gov account to get logged into the NFR. Anyway, it seems like it has me connecting now and I am in the process of getting that all done. I am back to work with my current job now, so I can't claim true retirement yet!

REPLY
1 reply
joann4 | @joann4 | Dec 14, 2023
In reply to @piraterrr "Hello joann4, thank you as well for your service and for what you are doing with..." + (show)
@piraterrr

Hello joann4, thank you as well for your service and for what you are doing with this program! I got a little sidetracked getting registered after I needed to apply for the login.gov account to get logged into the NFR. Anyway, it seems like it has me connecting now and I am in the process of getting that all done. I am back to work with my current job now, so I can't claim true retirement yet!

Jump to this post

Ahhh! Hope you're enjoying your 'current' job as much as I'm sure you enjoyed firefighting. Get in touch for 'retirement' tips when it's time! Glad you're following through on filling out the survey as it can be daunting. Good thoughts flowing from Jacksonville to NM.

REPLY
annewoodmayo | @annewoodmayo | Dec 15, 2023

To all firefighters and EMTs--

God bless you and keep you all safe!! Thank you for your service!

REPLY
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