Mesquite Fire Department investing in preventing, detecting cancers as early as possible
MESQUITE - January marks Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. It's a time meant to bring attention to the increased health risks faced by the men and women who keep us safe.
Several fire departments, locally and nationally, are investing in efforts to not only prevent cancers but to also detect them as early as possible.
The Mesquite Fire Department is proactive in its approach to keep its crew safe. Once a year, every Mesquite firefighter is put through a gamut of tests.
They undergo a physical with a doctor; examined for everything from their eyesight to their mental health. Their throat and abdomen are closely examined in an ultrasound, where a technician is looking for any plaque or blockage.
And then there's the not-so-leisurely jog on the treadmill to test how their hearts perform under the kind of stress that's unavoidable in their job
"We're in very poisonous and toxic environments," Mesquite Fire Chief Rust Wilson said. "We have to do everything we can to mitigate the effects of that on the human body."
Being a firefighter comes with an increased risk of cancer, heart attack, and other health conditions. Fire departments have invested in ways to help reduce that risk, but the next best thing, they say, is early detection.
Mesquite Fire Department is among a growing number of departments bringing in outside companies to do in-depth health screenings.
"These are athletes, and we approach them as such," Dr. Kristin Batla explained. Batla is the Chief Medical Officer for the company On Duty Health.
"Looking for those problems that are more prevalent and detecting them early."
Batla says as of late, she's seeing more firefighters prioritizing their health.
"The younger generation are actually the ones that seek out this type of care and even demand it," said Batla. "Whereas some of the older generation might be a little more resistant to it."
For Wilson, who aims to lead by example, it's among the changes he's most proud of implementing within his department.
"I haven't been in a department yet where we haven't caught things," Wilson said. "This is lifesaving."
