San Antonio Fire works to promote skin cancer awareness

February 6, 2023

With the support and guidance of Rachelle Hamblin, MD, MPH, the Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation and the San Antonio Fire Department announce a partnership to promote skin cancer prevention among the city’s 1,800 uniformed fire fighters. Running into burning buildings and battling out of control fires aren’t firefighters only risk. This year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) designated firefighting a Group 1 Known Human Carcinogen. According to the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters and first responders have a higher risk of developing skin cancer than the general population. They have a 20-60% increased risk of getting melanoma and up to a 30% increased risk of other skin cancers than the general population. Additionally, in a study published in the JAMA of Dermatology, fire fighters were also diagnosed with melanoma at younger ages – an average of 42.

The San Antonio initiative is a unique 3- prong outreach bringing together the San Antonio Fire Department administration, Dr. Hamblin and her volunteer health care professionals from the San Antonio community, and Mollie’s Fund. Dr. Hamblin, the San Antonio Fire Department, SAFD Occupational Cancer Committee, the Fire Training Academy, and San Antonio Professional Firefighters Local 624 were instrumental in helping organize and recruit doctors and health care professionals to physically screen the firefighters on Jan. 14-15 and Jan. 27-28 at the San Antonio Fire Training Academy.

More than 40 volunteers, including medical students, residents, family medicine physicians, dermatologists, community physicians and health care professionals, participated in the screening of their San Antonio firefighters. These volunteers came from all over the San Antonio community and beyond – CHRISTUS Health, UT Health San Antonio, University of the Incarnate Ward, Brooke Army Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Ft. Hood, and numerous private practices including the Bariatric Medical Institute of Texas and Dermatology Associates of San Antonio. Lucid Diagnostics helped coordinate these screenings and offered free esophageal cancer screenings in parallel. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network also lent their support. Raffle prizes for participating firefighters were donated by Ancira Auto Group, Los Barrios Family Restaurants, San Antonio Laser Engraving, CP Skin Health, and Black Jack Speed Shop.

A total of 675 firefighters, more than one-third of the entire department, were screened over two weekends. Firefighters were informed of and directed to appropriate follow up as needed to help prevent, catch, and treat any skin cancers, and were also educated about sun safety. Mollie’s Fund worked with the SAFD to design posters to further educate firefighters about skin cancer prevention. These posters will be circulated through the city’s 54 fire stations and training academy. The foundation developed a skin cancer education module facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Hale, MD, NYU Associate Professor of Dermatology. Made available on the SAFD website, this program will be incorporated into the trainees’ classroom curriculum. “Our training academy prides itself on training and preparing our firefighters to handle any situation…everything from fires and medical runs to self-care. We believe the right knowledge and tools are the keys to success. Skin cancer knowledge and skin care are critical self-help tools,” says Captain Brandon Murray, former head of the Fire Training Academy, now Battalion Chief.

Mollie’s Fund also donated sunscreen dispensers to be placed at the Training Center and strategic locations so that the firefighters, trainees and instructors have easy access to sunscreen.

“We value our partnerships with the FDNY, CT, NJ and other firefighter communities,” stressed Jack Biggane, President of Mollie’s Fund. “And, we know San Antonio’s firefighters are prepared and informed, but we are striving to help them be personally safe too. They need to be healthy and skin cancer education and prevention is critical.” Dr. Hamblin concurred adding, “This partnership is part of a dream come true. We are determined to have our firefighters lead healthy lives. I am so grateful to SAFD with Chief Hood’s leadership, their occupational cancer committee, the union, the training academy, and all who have worked tirelessly to make extinguishing firefighter cancer a priority. Thank you to all the volunteers who stepped up to take care of the people who are taking care of everyone else. Thank you again to Mollie’s Fund for partnering with us at SAFD and their unwavering dedication to helping educate and prevent skin cancer in our firefighters.”

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