A growing concern. For several months, firefighter unions have been pointing out the increase in cancer cases in the military ranks and demanding better screening for this disease.
In a press release published on Monday, November 18, the CGT of the SDIS of Seine-et-Marne also requested “the performance of a TMD (computed tomography) chest scan for the monitoring of firefighters after exposure.”
Speaking to BFMTV, Julien Pinson, non-commissioned officer and president of the Autonomous Union of Firefighters of the Maritime Alps, expressed his anger at the inaction of the health authorities. “We have the impression that they are not listening to us, that they want to sweep the dust under the rug,” he says.
Despite the multi-layered equipment, including a helmet, a long-sleeved shirt, trousers and a fire jacket, the latter underlines that the risks remain significant during operation.
“We have fires with combustion products that are released. These contaminants pass through the fabrics of our firefighting equipment, they deposit on the skin, on the hands, on the neck… Since we exert intense effort, we have pores that become They dilate and these toxic substances pass into our blood,” explains the man who has been on strike since February.
Screening
In France, only one cancer is recognized as an occupational disease among firefighters: nasopharyngeal cancer. The firefighters ask that the list be expanded to seven cancers, but also that the detection of the disease be improved.
“We need examination measures, secondary prevention measures to be able to detect pathologies, cancers or other pathologies in firefighters as soon as possible,” Norbert Berginiat, medical director and vice president, explains to BFMTV, president of the FNFSP (National Federation). of the French firefighters).
As Libération points out, in 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO agency, confirmed in a report that the professional exposure of firefighters was “carcinogenic to humans.”
For its part, France 3 Regions reports that the autonomous union of firefighters of the Alpes-Maritimes made, in August 2024, a documentary that collects testimonies from firefighters who fell ill in the exercise of their duties. Called “Consumables”, it contains testimonies from firefighters who were sick and then died.
Currently, firefighters must undergo a single medical examination every two years, which is not mandatory.
Source: BFM TV
