Florida Fire Marshal Hands Out Checks to Battle Firefighter Cancer, PTSD

(Hialeah, FL) - Florida firefighters face more than flames when they battle a blaze. Florida CFO and state Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia visited Hialeah today to help combat cancer among fire fighters with a $1.5 million grant.

He says the money will go to purchase equipment to decontaminate firefighters who are exposed to chemicals and plastics.

Also, he says these first responders suffer PTSD resulting in an epidemic of suicides. He says mental health issues are just as destructive for firefighters as cancer.

Hialeah Fire Chief Fire Humberto Perez is thankful for the cancer decontamination grant money. He says firefighters are exposed to chemicals and plastics that they breathe in. The carcinogens that cling to their skin and equipment get transferred to the station house.

Fire Union President Bill McCallister says Miami Dade has lost three firefighters to suicide in the past year. He says cancer and PTSD should not be cancer should not be part of the dangers of fighting fires.

Ingoglia says he has awarded more than $14.7M to support firefighters statewide since he took office.