CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis Delivers Cancer-Fighting Kits to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department
9/25/2018
Jacksonville, Fla. – Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis delivered the first set of firefighter cancer-fighting decontamination kits, which help mitigate firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing products of combustion, to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Fire Station 1 in Jacksonville today.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “It was an honor to stand with firefighters in Jacksonville today to announce the delivery of more than 70 decontamination kits to the area. In 2016 alone cancer caused 70 percent of career firefighter line of duty deaths across the nation. Cancer prevalence in firefighters is not up for debate, and we must make sure these heroes have the tools needed to stay healthy and safe.”
Four thousand decontamination kits will be distributed throughout Florida. More than 1,000 kits have already been distributed with the remainder of the kits to be delivered in the coming weeks. Each kit includes the tools needed for firefighters to effectively clean gear after a fire. The decontamination kits were awarded through a $1 million grant to the firefighter cancer mitigation grant program. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has developed a website, www.sylvesternewbadgeofhonor.com, which contains related educational materials, along with other resources designed to help educate firefighters about cancer risks and processes that might help reduce those risks.