Two Sparta firefighters will participate in a University of Miami Medical Center study.
Fire Chief Kirk Young said participating in the research will help the center learn more about firefighters’ health.
“It’s an ongoing study of fire investigators health and safety,” Young said. “This study is a grant through FEMA and the University of Miami. So that is a good thing.”
Young said health and safety remains a large concern for fire stations around the nation.
“They haven’t got all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed when it comes to firefighter’s safety, but it is a start,” Young said. “Because we have a high rate number of cancer. So that is a good thing.”
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters have a 14 percent higher chance of dying from cancer than the general public.
