Finally, after years of delay, the San Francisco Fire Department has agreed to participate in a national study that will collect data on cancer rates among firefighters. The Department will collaborate with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in collecting the data.
For years San Francisco Firefighter's Union Local 798 has been deeply concerned about the unusually high rates of cancer among San Francisco Firefighters and has been urging the Department and the City to take appropriate action. Local 798's President John Hanley stated "Nationally we are off the chart and as a Fire Department, our members are getting far more cancer than other Fire Departments".
The Administration has continually dragged their feet, citing concerns with firefighter privacy.
The new decision to participate in the cancer study was announced by Deputy Chief of Administration Gary Massetani at a recent Fire Commission meeting.