OTTAWA, Canada – Across Canada, firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe, including by helping to fight wildland fires that have increased in severity in recent years due to climate change. Because of their regular exposure to toxic chemicals from burning materials and firefighting foams, firefighters face a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, and a higher risk of dying from cancer, than the general public.
Today, Mark Holland, minister of health, tabled the National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting in parliament and announced an investment of $12.29 million to advance firefighter health and safety.
“Every day, firefighters put their lives at risk to save ours. Their dangerous work comes with an increased risk of cancer, and we need to address that. That’s why we’re announcing new measures to better prevent, detect and treat cancers linked to firefighting. We all need to work together to ensure those that keep us safe are protected,” said minister Holland.
New federal actions will focus on raising awareness and promoting information sharing, generating scientific knowledge, and developing guidance and addressing training needs.
Health Canada will convene stakeholders to raise awareness of cancers linked to firefighting, mobilize partners and identify opportunities for coordinated action. Key actions include establishing a national advisory group with all orders of government, Indigenous partners, and key stakeholders, as well as developing online resources of accessible health information.
In order to track health outcomes across firefighter populations and to better understand firefighter cancer incidence and mortality, the government will establish a National Firefighter Cancer Registry, led by Statistics Canada, to track health outcomes over time. Health Canada will also initiate targeted research on cancers linked to firefighting to build scientific evidence for underrepresented sub-populations of firefighters.
New investments will support the development of guidance for diagnostic testing and new tools to address training needs within the health care sector. This could lead to earlier diagnoses that may result in better health outcomes. To address gaps in equipment and health and safety standards, investments will also support the development of standards for wildland firefighters to support improved occupational health and safety for their unique needs. These prevention efforts will reduce the burden and costs to the health care system.
Following Royal Assent of the National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting Act in June 2023, Health Canada engaged with firefighter organizations, researchers, health care providers, other federal departments, Indigenous partners, and all orders of government to inform the Framework and federal actions. In keeping with the intent of the Framework, Health Canada will continue to convene and engage partners to inspire collective action to better protect all firefighters in Canada from occupational cancers.
Quick facts
- Cancer is the leading cause of job-related deaths for firefighters in Canada.
- In Canada, there are more than 126,000 firefighters working in rural, urban, and wildland settings to respond to fire, weather-related, and medical emergencies each day, of which 70% are volunteers.
- Approximately 2 million calls are made to fire departments across Canada each year.
- Since 2021, Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada have advanced research under its Action Plan to protect firefighters from harmful exposures released during household fires, and have taken regulatory action on harmful flame retardants and PFAS.
- Federal actions align with the priorities raised by stakeholders during consultations held between June 2023 and January 2024, while respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction.