It’s the month of February, which means it’s National Cancer Prevention Month. Firefighters are the first to be put in dangerous situations where they are fighting fires and exposing themselves to carcinogens. Modern homes and buildings contain many synthetic and plastic materials which create more smoke when burning than natural materials. When materials burn, they release a number of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of more than 100 chemicals. Exposure to some PAHs can cause cancer. Even during training simulations, firefighters can be exposed to cancer-causing agents by the use of Class A fire props.
At Fireblast Global, we are doing our part to prevent the exposure to carcinogens by using Class B props.
Class B Props vs Class A Props in Fire Training
Class B props in fire training simulation consists of fire props using natural gases including propane, which are significantly less harmful than Class A props, which use ordinary combustibles such as burning pallets, cardboard, hay, straw, or excelsior as fuel, releasing cancer-causing agents into the air exposing the firefighters of these harmful chemicals.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “firefighters have a 29% higher risk of contracting various types of cancer than the rest of the U.S. population. They are 1.39 times more likely to develop skin cancer and 1.31 times more likely to be diagnosed with brain cancer.”
What is Fireblast Global Doing to Help Prevent Exposure to Carcinogens?
Fireblast Global specializes in the design and manufacturing of live fire training simulators to help firefighters train in an environment where they can improve on efficiency, preparedness, and safety for a real fire outbreak.
The connection between firefighting and cancer is real, and there is scientific data to support that, but that is where we come in. Fireblast Global is committed to keeping our first responders safe through the use of Class B simulators, which in turn also offers a realistic training environment to prepare firefighters for any situation they could be up against. Our use of propane and natural gas in our gas fired props allows for a cleaner burn training environment, and emergency shut off features, keeping our firefighter safe.
If you’re looking to train properly with innovative design and engineering of simulators, contact Fireblast Global at 1-951-277-8319 today!