As a damage controlman, one was responsible for operating, repairing, and maintaining firefighting systems and equipment, damage control equipment, and chemical, biological, and radiological defense equipment, performing emergency repairs to decks, structures, and hulls by pipe patching, plugging and shoring, and training the ship's military personnel in chemical, biological, and radiological defense. They were also in charge of serving as the ship's fire marshals and firefighting leaders.
Since they had to perform maintenance and repair work on numerous components of various equipment, often without protective equipment, damage controlmen were exposed to asbestos to a great extent. At the same time, their role as the ship's designated firefighting leaders meant regular, direct contact with AFFF. The rating of damage controlman is relatively new, dating back to 1948.
Relevant job titles
- ship survivability systems maintainer
- ship survivability systems technician
- firefighter
- fire controlman
- fire control technician
- fire inspector
- plumber
- maintenance and repair worker
AFFF exposure for damage controlmen
As the Navy's designated firefighting specialists, damage controlmen had a closer and more sustained relationship with AFFF than nearly any other rating. Their qualification required them to master the foam systems themselves, not just respond to emergencies involving them, which meant AFFF was part of their daily technical responsibilities rather than an occasional occurrence.
Damage controlmen's documented contact with AFFF came through work that included:
- leading damage control and firefighting instruction for the rest of the crew, which meant demonstrating proper foam application technique during every training cycle
- performing scheduled maintenance on fixed foam proportioning systems, hose reels, and discharge nozzles as part of their technical qualifications
- directing and physically taking part in firefighting response during actual shipboard casualties, where AFFF was applied in large volumes to bring fuel fires under control
- handling foam concentrate during resupply, storage, and system refills, tasks that fell specifically under a damage controlman's equipment maintenance duties
Damage controlmen diagnosed with kidney cancer or testicular cancer are currently eligible for AFFF claims, may receive compensation.
Asbestos-related cancer eligible for filing a claim
If you developed one of the following cancers as a result of occupational exposure, you are eligible for compensation. If you are too ill, a family member can help you with the legal process. In the unfortunate event that you pass away before recovering compensation, your surviving family members will receive compensation on your behalf.
If, however, you struggle with non-cancerous pleural diseases such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, COPD (emphysema & chronic bronchitis), pleurisy, lung nodules, lung spots, asthma, pneumonitis, tuberculosis, rounded atelectasis or lung scarring, please seek a second or even a third opinion as the rate of misdiagnosis is very high among the victims of asbestos exposure.
