South Strabane fire company recognized
The South Strabane Fire Department has become one of a small group of departments nationwide to be distinguished for its efforts to aid research into cancer rates among firefighters.
The department announced Thursday that it had been named a “gold helmet department” through the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR). The NFR is an initiative through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
“Firefighters are substantially more at risk for cancer and other illnesses due to the environment that we work in,” said Jordan Cramer, chief of the South Strabane department.
Cramer extended much of the credit for the department’s involvement to Wesley Attwood, a volunteer firefighter in the township.
Attwood helped convince many of his colleagues to register themselves in the NFR, which tracks information about how many and the types of calls firefighters are responding to. Departments receive the “gold helmet” distinction when at least 50% of a department’s firefighters register.
Only 76 fire departments nationwide are “gold helmet departments.” Three of those are in Pennsylvania. South Strabane and Taylorstown Fire Departments are two of them.
“According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, firefighters have 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 4% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population,” Attwood said, adding that the registry helps researchers study the connection between being a firefighter and the risk of cancer.
Attwood said he has a personal reason for being so involved in the initiative.
“My grandfather served as a volunteer firefighter at Punxsutawney for 52 years. He passed from a cancer associated with firefighting,” he said.
Cramer said he is “very appreciative” of Attwood taking the initiative to involve the department in the NFR.
“It shows Wesley’s commitment to his fellow firefighters and the industry in general. He has also been reaching out to other firefighters in the county,” Cramer said.