Did you know that cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters?
A New York City firefighter who responded to the World Trade Center on 9/11 thought he was advocating for his colleagues and their health, but just recently got an unfortunate diagnosis himself.
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Retired FDNY Chief Richard Alles lives a healthy lifestyle and is an avid runner. On Sept. 11, 2001, he responded to the World Trade Center.
“We all consider ourselves ticking time bombs, and it’s not a question of if, but when,” Alles told NBC6.
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He has been working to advocate for his colleagues and federal funding for 9/11 illnesses and just recently, received an unfortunate diagnosis.
“I swore an oath to protect the citizens of my city or America at large, I have no regrets on that,” he said.
While Alles doesn’t look back, he, like so many of the first responders, suffered intense exposure to the toxic mix of dust and chemicals at Ground Zero. 343 FDNY responders were killed that day, and since then, more responders have died as a result of a 9/11 illness than from the incident on that fateful day. Alles was diagnosed with skin cancer, and recently, prostate cancer.
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“Early detection, early treatment is everything, so my cancer was found very early,” he said.
January marks Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and it’s what Alles continues to preach. In 2023, the International Association of Firefighters reported that 72% of line-of-duty deaths were due to cancer.
Here locally, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue says they take precautions to mitigate the exposure to toxins, from two sets of bunker gear to training on the exposure risks.
The University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has an initiative aimed at working with departments to reduce the risks against our first responders. They also provide mobile units to screen firefighters at the firehouses.
Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue has implemented several items and processes to reduce the risk, but they say there’s no magic bullet.
A division chief told NBC6 that Broward Fire Rescue has had 17 diagnoses in the last 10 years.
For Alles, he continues the crusade that brought him to Ground Xero in the first place, saving lives while now fighting to save his own.
“Firefighters are very good at taking care of other people, not so good about taking care of themselves,” he said.
He urges firefighters to get checked because feeling OK is different from being OK, he encouraged.
