Jennifer Miller, Awareness and Outreach Coordinator
Mesothelioma.com

Each time a firefighter heads into a blazing building, he/she faces myriad risks. Some dangers are quite obvious - like smoke inhalation and falling debris. Others, like contamination from asbestos, are less so.

For nearly a century, the building industry made liberal use of the mineral asbestos, which was cheap to use and well-known for its durability and heat resistance, and fire resistance. Because of those properties, it was used in attic insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, drywall and drywall glue, shingles and siding, and to wrap pipes and wires. In fact, asbestos causes no real health concerns, but when it is damaged - as in a fire - it can be deadly.

When asbestos is damaged, fibers can circulate throughout the air. Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers can cause them to become lodged in the chest area, where they can eventually cause an asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma. This disease can remain latent in the human body for as long as 50 years and by the time symptoms surface, it has reached Stage 3 or 4. By that time, mesothelioma treatment options are few and rarely successful. And though new mesothelioma treatments have been developed over the last few years, the prognosis for an asbestos cancer sufferer is still grim.

Firefighters can avoid exposure to cancer-causing asbestos by taking the proper precautions when fighting a fire and during overhaul or investigation after a blaze, where asbestos debris may be present. It's difficult to tell when and where asbestos might be present, so wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) should be a regular practice to prevent inhalation. The SCBA provides breathable air and tiny, sharp asbestos fibers will not be able to enter the respiratory system.

In addition, to avoid spreading asbestos contamination to others, the SCBA should be thoroughly cleaned after use and any clothes worn while fighting a fire containing asbestos should not be worn away from the site of the blaze. A firefighter with asbestos on his/her clothing or equipment can bring the hearty fibers back to their station or even to their home, potentially causing secondary cases of asbestos cancer in family members who are exposed to asbestos in a secondary fashion.

For more information about asbestos safety, please visit Mesothelioma.com.