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Firefighters’ cancer bill takes focus

STEUBENVILLE — Retired Steubenville Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Taylor discussed the need for participation in a firefighter cancer research study as he took part in the weekly news conference call of Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Brown said while people think of firefighters rushing in while others are fleeing danger, there’s not often thought given to increased risks firefighters face beyond the immediate dangers of fires and accidents.

He said a bill recently signed by President Trump requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create and maintain a voluntary registry to collect data about firefighters’ cancer and use the data and existing studies to assess ways to protect first responders. He noted the bill is bipartisan, saying he worked with Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on the legislation.

“It’s an example of how there are plenty of issues where we put partisanship aside and come together to do the right thing,” Brown said.

Taylor, who is president of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, said the hope is that the registry will help understanding grow about the impact of cancer in the fire service, providing scientists with specialized information needed to advance research.

“Hopefully, it will lead to better prevention and safety protocols. Cancer is a leading cause of line-of-duty deaths,” he said.

He noted there is a “carcinogenic soup of chemicals” in a fire that impact more than a firefighter’s lungs. Chemicals are absorbed through the firefighters’ skin, Taylor said, and the pores are opened by the heat in the fire, making a path for chemicals to get into the bloodstream.

He said the city of Columbus led research, showing that between 2011 and 2014, the CFD had one out of 14 members suffering from cancer. The Columbus rate ran at one out of 176 people. Statewide, the number was one out of 192.

Taylor said the definition of a “line-of-duty” death includes not only those caused at a scene, but “something that you incur on the job that kills you.” He said that can be an immediate danger at a scene or cancer that kills a firefighter.

He said through the process of studying the cancer statistics, it was found, especially in California, that substances used to make modern furniture resistant to fire are among the worst carcinogens faced in fighting a fire.

“California outlawed those types of product. Hopefully, that will find its way across the rest of the country,” he said.

On other matters, Brown said while he supports tariffs against China, he wants a long-term strategy to be mapped out by the Trump administration.

“What I’m looking for from the White House is a real plan here. It is serious when these attacks on American farmers come from China,” Brown said. “I do not want a trade war. I want a focus on our allies and a focus on serial cheaters such as China, South Korea, Turkey and a handful of others.”

He declined comment on the farm assistance plan unveiled by the administration, saying he wants more details.

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