People might think that volunteer firefighters are safe from hazard exposure because they have fewer hours on duty, but the life of a volunteer firefighter is unpredictable. If you served as a volunteer firefighter for at least two years, you’re likely to have encountered toxic firefighting foam in training drills and responding to calls.
Many firefighters serve as volunteers before being hired full-time. Some volunteer firefighters serve hours while studying or while working on their Firefighter I or Firefighter II certification. For example, you need to have completed a Fire Academy and a Firefighter I certification to become a Reserve Firefighter I in Rescue, California. On the other hand, you can also volunteer as a reserve trainee and learn firefighting through on-the-job training.
Firefighters who serve in a similar arrangement are part-time firefighters. They are not hired full-time, but they are paid a small compensation for each call they respond to.
According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, the majority of fire departments in the United States are volunteer-based. There are 18,873 volunteer-based fire departments out of the 29,452 fire departments in the country. Many small to mid-sized communities rely solely on volunteer firefighters, yet the hazards that volunteers face in their service are often underestimated, including their exposure to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).
AFFF contains synthetic fluorine-based chemicals called PFAS that have been associated with different types of cancer. As a volunteer firefighter, you may have encountered these chemicals in AFFF-involved duties, like the following:
Cancer is one of the significant health issues that volunteer firefighters face today. They are regularly exposed to chemicals and other hazards in their line of work. Still, the toxic chemicals in AFFF are dangerous because they build up in a person’s blood serum over time. If you served as a volunteer or part-time firefighter for at least two years, you may be eligible to file an AFFF claim for cancer if you were diagnosed with any of the conditions below.
Kidney cancer Testicular cancer Prostate cancer Liver cancer Pancreatic cancer Bladder cancer Male breast cancer Thyroid cancerIf you have more questions about how volunteer and part-time firefighters can file AFFF claims, please do not hesitate to contact us. ELG Law has been assisting victims of environmental exposure for over two decades now, and we have competent attorneys who can file claims on your behalf. To start the process, we only need to check your employment records or volunteer records, and your medical documents showing your cancer diagnosis.
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