May 13, 2008

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Our Mission

The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation:
Working to extinguish fire fighter cancer.

Fire fighters dedicate their lives to the service of others. The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation was established to provide international outreach, support, and resource assistance programs for fire fighters and family members that are stricken by cancer. The Foundation is creating state of the art programs for cancer education, awareness, and prevention to ensure the quality of life and retirement of fire fighters around the world.

Our Goals

The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation will promote knowledge, awareness, and advocacy for the fire fighter diagnosed with cancer. The foundation will continue to support active and retired fire fighters by promoting occupation specific cancer screening and wellness testing. We are seeking volunteers, medical and fire service advisors, benefactors, and partnership with organizations of similar goals.

We are here to: S.P.E.A.R.

Support – Offer emotional support and social assistance for fire fighters and family members battling cancer.

Promote – Encourage health and wellbeing by endorsing annual occupation specific cancer screenings and wellness testing.

Educate – Provide resource information to assist the fire fighter diagnosed with cancer to better understand their disease. Partner with other international cancer organizations to offer education and awareness programs.

Assist – Establish a national prescription assistance program for fire fighters diagnosed with cancer. Provide our members enduring chemotherapy with a home air purification unit to help them remain healthy during treatment. Effect improved communication among retired fire fighters.

Research – Identify leaders in medicine and science who can offer treatment options. Educate national and regional elected officials to advance national fire fighter cancer studies.

What's New at Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation

FFCF Salutes Livestrong Day

Posted On: May 13, 2008 (12:57:57)

LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation's one-day initiative to raise awareness and funds for the cancer fight. LIVESTRONG Day 2008 will occur on Tuesday, May 13.

When cancer affects your loved ones, it hits home. So fight cancer from your own backyard.

FFCF Attends iWomen Leadership Conference

Updated On: May 04, 2008 (09:36:00)

The FFCF exhibited at the first leadership seminar of the new International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services. Cancer education, awareness, and program benefit information were offered at the event in Glendale, Arizona. An array of guest lecturers inspired fire service leaders from the U.S. and other countries.

iWomen (www.i-Women.org) is the culmination of years of work and recent merger of the Women Chief Fire Officers (WCFO) and the Women in the Fire Service (WFS). The new group supports the worldwide community of fire service women in many ways. They offer print publications, biennial conferences and leadership seminars, and a website full of information about topics relevant to fire service women.

We appreciate the opportunity to attend the groundbreaking event and are pleased to support iWomen to advance benefits and research for the women of the fire service globally.

Minority Cancer Awareness Week

Updated On: Apr 25, 2008 (19:24:00)

Advocates in Action... From the American Cancer Society

Posted: 25 Apr 2008 11:26 AM CDT

Friday brings to an end National Minority Cancer Awareness Week – a campaign first initiated by Congress in 1987 to bring awareness to the higher incidence rates of cancer in the racial and ethnic minority communities.

Colorectal cancer is a disease that has a greater mortality rate among minorities, especially within the African American and Hispanic communities.

Colorectal cancer will claim over 52,000 lives in 2008, making it the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. When Americans are screened according the American Cancer Society guidelines and diagnosed early, they have a 90% survival rate. Sadly, the truth is that fewer than 40% of patients are appropriately screened. One major reason for low screening rates is the lack of coverage for screenings and treatment.

If the majority of Americans age 50 or older were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the death rate from this disease could fall by up to 80 percent.

The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act of 2007 (HR 1738) would establish a screening and treatment program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and would authorize funding for grants to the states. The grants would be used to conduct programs to provide vital colon cancer screenings, information and follow-up services to those ages 50-64, with a focus on those most at risk, such as low-income, uninsured and underinsured men and women.

Take Action today and write your Members of Congress urging them to support this critical legislation.

For more resource information on minority cancer, please visit our Health & Wellness "Cancer Feature of the Month"

Cancer Foundation and MagneGrip Join Forces

Updated On: Apr 25, 2008 (19:35:00)

The Cancer Foundation and MagneGrip Group are working together to help extinguish firefighter cancer. The Foundation provides education to alert firefighters to the cancer-causing exposures in their occupation, and it advocates for cancer research and presumptive legislation. It also helps active and retired firefighters who have cancer by providing resource information and assistance during treatment.

The MagneGrip Group, a leader in providing 100% effective exhaust extraction systems and air purification systems for firehouses, provides support for the Foundation's programs. This partnership will help firefighters benefit from the Foundation's work and take preventive measures to reduce cancer risks that are prevalent in their occupation.

Through this partnership, we provide our members with a home air purification unit to reduce chance of infection during cancer treatment. The "Exhaust Cancer" campaign is being written to educate and assist the fire service with information about diesel exhaust and its link to cancer. Please check back for this program that will be available soon!

FDIC Success

Posted On: Apr 24, 2008 (12:53:53)

The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation launched its innaugural exhibit at the FDIC event in Indianapolis. It was an overwhelming success that included the presentation of two new partner programs with the MagneGrip Group and MyRapidMD (ESP).

The week included participation in a variety of fire service networking and educational events. Most importantly, we were able to connect with a number of fire service professionals in need of cancer assistance that ranged from education and research to access to our many service programs.

We wish to thank those that stopped by our booth and especially those that took the time to share their special stories with us. It is through your experiences that we continue to grow and improve our program!