Governor Declares January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month
STOW, Mass. — Governor Maura Healey has declared January to be Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Massachusetts, joining the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, International Association of Fire Fighters, and fire service agencies around the world to promote cancer awareness, prevention, and early detection in the fire service all month long.
"Firefighters face a higher risk of developing cancer, developing it earlier in life, receiving a later cancer diagnosis, and losing their lives to cancer," Governor Healey's proclamation reads. "Raising awareness of cancer risks and promoting best practices in cancer prevention can help protect our firefighters from this insidious disease and enjoy long, healthy, and happy lives."
State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said that nearly 1,400 firefighters took part in free occupational cancer screenings through the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services in 2025 – a record for the DFS Firefighter Cancer Program.
Because firefighters are at greater risk of developing certain types of cancer than the public they protect, the Department of Fire Services coordinates free skin cancer screenings, chest CT scans, PSA blood tests, ultrasounds, and mammograms for eligible firefighters through the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. Skin cancer screenings are performed by volunteer dermatologists, while the other screenings are performed by contracted vendors across the state.
"Whether you're a call, volunteer, or career firefighter, active duty or retired, these programs are available at no cost to you or your department," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "The worst cancer diagnosis is a late one, so please take advantage of them."
The number of firefighter cancer screenings provided through the program nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025, State Fire Marshal Davine said. Skin cancer screenings, which have been offered since 2018, rose from 612 to 785. Newer programs saw sharper increases: CT scans increased from 99 to 168; PSA blood tests from 44 to 160; ultrasounds from 91 to 255; and mammograms from two to nine.
"This may be due to increased familiarity with the screening options, or the steps we took to make them more accessible, or word of mouth in the fire service," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Whatever the reason, it's a great result and we want to see those numbers continue climbing. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, or do it for your career – just do it!"
Also in 2025, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy rolled out a new instructor-led cancer awareness presentation in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The new presentation, "Doing it Right: Reducing Cancer in the Fire Service," updates an earlier cancer prevention program and highlights cancer prevention best practices on and off the job. It also promotes the benefits of early detection through screenings and awareness of baseline health. So far this year, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy has delivered it to about 600 new recruits, about 50 chiefs and senior officers, and about 230 firefighters at various ranks in between. Another 25 firefighters have taken a train-the-trainer course that empowers them to deliver the presentation effectively at local and regional fire departments.
