Contributed by Nicholas E. Blonien, D.O.

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, which is particularly important for men serving in our fire service communities due to their increased risk of developing the condition.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men (average age diagnosed is 33). Studies showing firefighters and military personnel are at an increased risk for testicular cancer due to their exposure to forever chemicals, including a 2023 PBS News article that covered the topic.

Outside of work, non-occupational risk factors for testicular cancer include a history of an undescended testicle, a father or brother with testicular cancer and HIV infection. White, American Indian and Alaska Native men may also be at an increased risk – it’s worth looking into your family’s medical history for general awareness.

The first sign of testicular cancer is usually a lump on the testicle, or a testicle might become swollen or larger over time. Another possible sign is aching in the groin or lower abdomen. For any of these symptoms, it’s important to have a medical evaluation, which may include an ultrasound, bloodwork and imaging to detect any abnormalities and concerns.

If testicular cancer is found, surgery is usually required. Additional treatment may follow if the cancer has spread. The encouraging news is that men with testicular cancer, including cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organ systems, have a 95% chance of living for at least five years after their diagnosis. Testicular cancer, when caught early, is very treatable.

Below are five key takeaways for firefighters and their loved ones:

1. Be aware testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young adult males, with research showing firefighters may be more likely to get it.
2. Exposure to carcinogenic compounds and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) puts firefighters at increased risk.
3. Keep a watchful eye out for any changes in testicular shape or size and seek evaluation if changes, new pain or symptoms are noticed.
4. Catching testicular cancer early is important. The earlier it’s diagnosed; the more successful treatment will be.
5. While there isn’t clear evidence that modifiable risk factors play a significant role in reducing the chance of getting testicular cancer, staying fit, not smoking, minimizing alcohol consumption, prioritizing sleep and avoiding exposure to carcinogenic compounds are recommended for an overall healthy lifestyle.

Have you been diagnosed with cancer?

As part of the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, all Minnesota firefighters are automatically enrolled in a statewide Critical Illness insurance policy which covers diagnoses of cancer, cardiac or other critical illnesses, and provides a lump-sum cash payment up to $20,000 to assist with expenses like medical bills and travel costs to and from specialist visits. For more information or to file a claim, call 888-784-6634 or visit securian.com/mnfire-insurance.

Published in partnership with MnFIRE partner, Optum

Firefighters operate in high-pressure environments where every decision counts. With human lives often at risk, including their own, a single mistake can have devastating consequences. This constant pressure, along with the physical toll of the job, contributes to a substantial amount of stress for firefighters.

While many things are often beyond our control, we do have the power to manage some sources of stress. Consider trying these stress-busting strategies to ease tension, quiet your mind and find calm.

1. Move — Physical activity can serve as a stress reliever. Your body releases chemicals that make you feel good, and the increase in oxygen and blood flow can boost your energy level. Even a 5-minute walk or stretch can make a difference and take our mind off pressing issues.
2. Simplify — When your day feels overwhelming, take stock of your to-dos. Focus on what must be done, delegate what you can, and let go of what isn’t necessary.
3. Resist — Avoid foods and drinks that might negatively impact your mood. For example, if you know another cup of coffee is going to make you feel anxious and jittery, skip it.
4. Engage — In tough times, remind yourself how much better you might feel with support or a friendly distraction. Spend time with a friend who makes you laugh, volunteer at a shelter for some “pet therapy,” or do something else that helps you feel connected.
5. Plan — Routines can be comforting, so develop and stick to ones that work for you and your loved ones. For example, try prepping meals and outfits in advance of the hectic work week, or say “no” to a few invites to avoid being overscheduled.
6. Accept — It’s OK to not be OK. Give yourself time to process your emotions, then do your best to move past them. Let’s say a taxi driver blew past you or your partner snapped at you. Take a moment to feel the frustration, then a few deep breaths and focus on letting it go when you’re ready.
7. Change — Take stock of what stresses you and why. Could you do something differently? If so, make a plan and follow through.
8. Communicate — The people closest to you may not realize how overwhelmed you feel. Opening up can help them understand you need support and may also help break unhelpful patterns. It could be something simple like asking your roommate to clean and put away their dishes, so it’s one less thing weighing on you.
9. Practice — It’s natural to feel stressed out, anxious or irritable from time to time. Give yourself the same respect and patience you give others. And take care of yourself: Choose nutritious foods, get restful sleep, be active and take some “me” time to do what you enjoy most. Self-care is key to your overall health and well-being.

Help is just a call away

Sometimes, it can help to talk to someone who knows what you are going through. MnFIRE provides confidential mental health resources funded by the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program – including counseling visits and peer support – to Minnesota firefighters and their families. These services are available at no cost to active Minnesota firefighters and their families. Get connected by calling our 24-hour helpline at 888-784-6634.

Sources

HealthHub. Your guide to stress management. Accessed November 15, 2022.

Mayo Clinic. Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress. August 3, 2023.

Mental Health Foundation. How to manage and reduce stress. Accessed January 22, 2025.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Manage stress. August 20, 2024.

Contributed by Nicholas E. Blonien, D.O.

Getting quality sleep at the firehouse or when you’re on call is tough. Anticipation of an emergency call overnight is like the fear you’ll miss your alarm clock for an early morning meeting. You never truly settle into a deep sleep.

When calls do arise, your “fight-or-flight” response is activated, sharpening your focus and priming your body to perform but it’s difficult to fall back asleep once the run is complete.

Many firehouses also have shared sleeping quarters, limiting the ability to personalize one’s sleep environment. Back at home, firefighters understandably prioritize family time and other personal obligations over resolving “sleep debt” accrued from a busy night on duty.

A lack of quality sleep (7-9 hours per night) can add up though and has been associated with performance deficits and increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, mental illness, cognitive decline, cancer and early death.

Powerful health benefits of sleep

Sleep is the most restorative and rejuvenating element of human life, yet many of us don’t prioritize it like other healthy habits. During sleep, the body clears waste products of metabolism and cellular function and builds neural networks in the brain that are responsible for learning and memory. Sleep replenishes our immune systems, balances our hormones and repairs our bodies.

There are two main physiologic processes that must be aligned for sleep to be restful: circadian rhythm and homeostatic sleep drive. Circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock that regulates when bodily functions occur. This rhythm is roughly 24 hours and scheduled based on when the body receives external cues from the environment. Homeostatic sleep drive is the process responsible for feeling tired. Both processes are important in regulating our bodies for proper sleep needed for our overall health.

Tips for developing smarter sleep habits

For firefighters, nighttime calls are inevitable, and the firehouse is often a suboptimal sleep environment. Therefore, firefighters must do all they can to maximize sleep quality when possible. Below are some tips for firefighters to consider:

1. Build a sleep sanctuary: The ideal sleep environment is cool, dark and quiet. If the firehouse has shared sleeping quarters, aim to set the temperature between 60-67° F. Avoiding screen use for two hours before bed is important. Fans and other generators of “white noise” may be helpful in creating a restful environment in an otherwise noisy firehouse. It also may be worth considering using light bulbs (red or dimmer) in sleeping quarters that are less stimulating to the eyes.
2. Develop a bedtime routine: Create a bedtime routine. Common techniques to help calm the body and recruit the parasympathetic “rest and digest” system include warm showers, gentle stretching, meditation and structured breathing exercises.
3. Keep a consistent sleep schedule: Try to maintain the same bedtime and wake-up time, even after a poor night of sleep. Routine changes can result in circadian phase shifting, making it harder to fall asleep at the desired bedtime. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. More than nine hours per night can be problematic unless you’re correcting for accrued sleep deprivation.
4. Nap Strategically: Napping can improve daytime alertness and help resolve sleep debt, but you need to be strategic about it. Napping at the wrong time of day or for too long can compromise night-time sleep quality. A brief 20–30-minute nap in the early afternoon is best, when the body’s circadian rhythm yields a natural dip in arousal. A longer nap may be needed to resolve significant sleep debt.
5. Stick to a planned eating schedule: Consider maintaining a calorie intake “window” of 10-12 hours, opening 1-2 hours after waking and closing 3-4 hours before bedtime. Digestion influences circadian rhythms. By minimizing late eating and eating during the same time each day, metabolism becomes more efficient and circadian rhythm becomes more consistent. This can help sleep quality.
6. Exercise for better health and sleep: Exercising during the day will increase adenosine accumulation and ultimately sleep drive, making it easier to fall asleep at night. Avoid strenuous exercise during the 1-2 hours before bed, as exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, which prevents/delays the relaxation required to fall asleep.
7. Use substances smartly: Be careful with caffeine. Drink coffee and other caffeinated beverages before noon, if possible, and try not to exceed 400mg daily. Stay away from nicotine in evening since it activates sympathetic nervous system activity. Alcohol helps with sleep onset but profoundly disturbs REM sleep. Melatonin can be helpful and is best taken 1-2 hours prior to intended sleep time. Magnesium and creatine monohydrate may also be helpful, but you should talk to your doctor before starting new supplements.
8. Consider using cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a type of psychotherapy has proven to help with insomnia. Free apps (Headspace, Buddhify, mindfulness-solution.com) are available to guide sessions. The Calm app is free to Minnesota firefighters through the MnFIRE Assistance Program, by signing on to liveandworkwell.com. If these are not working, engage with medical care and request to see a therapist.

Research has shown education, awareness and implementation of sleep programs in fire departments are effective in improving overall sleep quality. Departments that address fatigue and discuss ways to make sleep a priority at home promote a pro-sleep culture. To help set the tone, consider reading Dr. Walker’s book, “Why We Sleep”. It will reaffirm that quality sleep is a foundation of overall wellness and especially important for those in the fire service.

Support for firefighters across the state

MnFIRE offers professionally led training sessions on sleep, nutrition, fitness as well as occupational health risks including cancer, cardiac and emotional wellness. Click here to learn more and register your department for a no-cost training and help your team strive for more rest.

Contributed by Nicholas E. Blonien, D.O.

We started the year with Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month – an important reminder that despite protective gear and other safety measures that firefighters take while on the job, they are still at a higher risk for cancer than the general public.

Due to exposure to carcinogenic compounds and other harmful toxins, those in the fire service community have a 9% increased risk of a cancer diagnosis and 14% higher risk of dying from cancer compared to those in other professions.

Therefore, it’s especially important for firefighters to prioritize healthy lifestyle choices and habits to combat the unavoidable risks they already face. Keeping overall health top of mind is critical as research shows the general public is struggling in some ways to do so.

Research shows top health risks are lifestyle-driven

A study published by the American Cancer Society examining the number of cancer cases and deaths in the general public pointed to modifiable lifestyle factors that could curb these statistics. With cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, UV radiation and physical inactivity rounding out the top five risk factors for disease and death in this study – smart and consistent lifestyle choices could make a big difference in changing current outcomes.

In July 2024, the American Cancer Society also published an analysis of cancer burden (excluding skin cancers) attributable to modifiable risk factors in the United States general population. Researchers found that up to 40% of cancer cases and deaths were linked to unhealthy behavior and largely preventable infection.

Health tips and resources for firefighters

So even with occupational exposure to dangerous fumes minimized as much as possible but never completely eliminated for firefighters, what can they do to help neutralize their increased cancer risk overall?

On a personal level, firefighters can focus on good sleep habits, eliminate tobacco use, minimize alcohol consumption, exercise frequently and eat a minimally processed diet high in plants and fiber to try and keep cancer at bay. And while it’s highly encouraged to live as healthy of a lifestyle as possible, at some point it’s hard to avoid illness or injury, and MnFIRE is here to support firefighters at these stages.

MnFIRE and the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program

From a professional and operational standpoint, MnFIRE offers no-cost trainings that focus on firefighter occupational health risks including cancer, cardiac and emotional wellness, plus deep-dive trainings on sleep, nutrition and fitness. Click here to learn more and register your department for a training session.

One of the offerings through MnFIRE’s Hometown Heroes Assistance Program is a critical illness insurance policy covering diagnoses related to a heart attack, cancer, post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) or other critical illnesses. This program provides a lump-sum cash payment of up to $20,000 per diagnosis to assist with expenses. In 2024, 196 claims were paid to firefighters, totaling $1,911,000.

The impact has been significant, with the fire chief for the City of Rosemount recently battling an unexpected cancer diagnosis. He was grateful for the financial support through this program. Read more about his experience.

Contributed by MnFIRE partner, Optum

Most of us are aware of how “triggers” can bring negative emotions and feelings inside us. But do you know what your “glimmers” are? That is, the fleeting moments that give you a sense of calm, peace and joy?

Both manifest physically in your body and affect your mental well-being.

Triggers send a warning of a potential danger to your nervous system. Depending on the threat, you may react with an urge to fight the danger, flee from it, freeze in the face of it or do something to pacify it. This reaction is commonly referred to as the fight, flight, freeze and fawn response. During these times, you feel heightened emotional and physical stress. Too much stress can lead to mental and physical health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, digestive issues and heart problems.

On the other hand, glimmers signal your parasympathetic nervous system, giving you a feeling of safety, calm and connection. When you feel good, your parasympathetic nervous system turns on and tells your nervous system to calm down. So, instead of fight, flight, freeze or fawn, you experience calm, peace and happiness. Glimmers can be anything from the smell and taste of your favorite comfort food, to the sound of your best friend’s laughter, watching squirrels play, the feel of your cool pillow after you flip it over, or whatever else gives you a sense of joy.

Catching glimmers

We are naturally wired to be aware of danger, especially in the fire service. It’s part of our safety defense mechanism and survival instinct. But we can train ourselves to look for these natural “glimmer” stress reducers that give us joy and comfort. While these moments may be brief, they add up. When you practice savoring them, you build up a reservoir of calm and hope that helps steady your nerves in stressful times.

• Think about what gives you a sense of joy, calm or helps you relax, so you are prepared to recognize the glimmers you experience.
• Many of us spend time thinking about the past or planning the future. Practice being present in the moment, so you are aware when a glimmer happens.
• When you spot a glimmer, relish the sensations you feel, knowing it will likely pass quickly.
• Each day, take time to reflect on the glimmers you encountered. Consider capturing them in a glimmer journal for future reference.
• Swap glimmer stories with someone you care about to build your bond.

No-cost mental health support

For personalized emotional and mental health support, MnFIRE provides confidential resources funded by the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP)  – including counseling visits and peer support – to Minnesota firefighters and their families. These MnFIRE program services target the unique needs of fire service members and are available at no cost. Call 888-784-6634 or click here to learn more and get help.

Sources

Australian Medical Association. Glimmers for mental health. Aug. 19, 2023.

Calm. Glimmers: What they are, why they matter, and 5 ways to find them. Accessed Oct. 18, 2024.

Neurodiversity Education Academy. Know your glimmers. March 26, 2023.

World Experience Organization. The power of glimmers: Designing for psychological safety. Accessed Oct. 18, 2024.

The Minnesota fire service community recently gathered at Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia for a full day of inspiring and hands-on health and wellness training at our 2025 Firefighter Health Forum.

The goal of the event was to share expertise, informative tips and resources to help protect and empower firefighters – and their families – in their professional and personal lives. Firefighters, their partners and spouses, and MnFIRE peer supporters were all immersed in the forum sessions together.

The year’s keynote speaker Ali Rothrock, a first responder mental health advocate, crisis counselor and author, helped set the tone for the day by talking about fostering resilience on and off the job. She reflected on some traumatic experiences early in her career and how they’ve impacted where she is today.

In a post-event survey, one attendee shared, “I found Ali incredibly helpful, insightful and relatable. The way she was able to talk about trauma in a way that everyone could understand was fantastic.”

In other breakout sessions, attendees learned about fitness and nutrition, first responder safety and self-defense, cardiovascular health, optimizing sleep habits, and suicide prevention – all based on the demands of the fire service, and the occupational health risks facing firefighters every day.

The movement sessions were a hit, particularly an interactive mobility session led by Blake Christenson of Iron Maltese Athletics with him modeling proper hip and shoulder movements to help firefighters reduce their risk of injury on the job. A few attendees walked away excited to bring this simple warm-up routine back to their departments.

At lunch during the forum, Monte Fronk, Head of Tribal Emergency Management for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, presented Garrison Fire and Rescue Captain and MnFIRE peer supporter Jen Elleraas with a special gift. Garrison Fire and Rescue is a volunteer fire department and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe – one of 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota – is one of the largest communities they serve.

Under Jen’s leadership, the department has worked to improve its communications and outreach, including participating in the annual Mille Lacs Band fire prevention/safety day at the tribal schools on the reservation and assisting Monte with already established NFPA 1300 community risk reduction efforts. Jen was recently recognized as the 2024 MSFCA Fire Officer of the Year for populations under 10,000. But to personally thank Jen and show his appreciation, Monte gave her a traditional gift of a blanket that recognizes her passion and efforts to improve safety for the Mille Lacs Band.

Nearly 90% of attendees who took our post-event survey, said they’d recommend future MnFIRE Firefighter Health Forums to others.

Thank you to all the incredible presenters and attendees who made this such an impactful and memorable event! We are so grateful for our fire service community.

Interested in bringing this kind of training to your department? MnFIRE’s no-cost trainings through the state’s Hometown Heroes Assistance Program provide crucial information about health and wellness topics impacting those in the fire service, such as cardiovascular health, emotional wellness, cancer, sleep, fitness and nutrition. Learn more and register your department for a training here.

When Jeff Rosener walked out the door after meeting with a mental health counselor for the first time, he didn’t know if the planned two-times-per-week therapy schedule was going to help.

“To be honest, I was skeptical,” said Rosener, a captain in the Minneapolis Fire Department. “I’m from the Marine Corps, which (has the mentality of) suck it up, just drink like the rest of us, take some Advil and rub some dirt in it.”

But Rosener stuck to the schedule and quickly realized how much his life – both personally and professionally – benefited from reaching out for help. Rosener’s sessions were made possible by the MnFIRE Assistance Program (MAP), which offers free, confidential help for Minnesota firefighters and their families 24/7 with emotional health, stress and more. The MAP is part of the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP), funded by a $4 million annual appropriation from the state.

As part of these no-cost benefits, every Minnesota firefighter and their family members can access up to five counseling visits per issue per year, with additional support ensured as needed, with specialized mental health professionals who have been trained to address the unique experiences of the fire service.

Earlier in 2024, Rosener hit a low point in many of his relationships, especially with his wife and their five kids, ages 13 to 2. One evening that spring, his wife asked to separate.

“I didn’t sleep at all that night and then went to work the next morning,” said Rosener, who has been in the fire service since 2010. “I said to my chief, ‘I need some help.’ I didn’t know if I needed to call a divorce lawyer or a therapist, but I was in a bad way.”

The Minneapolis Fire Chief immediately took action, keeping Rosener off the truck and connecting him with the department’s MnFIRE liaison. While Rosener had heard of MnFIRE and had seen a poster up in the fire station, he didn’t realize all the benefits available to him as an active firefighter. This was the first time Rosener received support from MnFIRE.

“Within two hours of me asking for help, I was in the office talking to my mental health provider, Melinda,” Rosener said. “It wasn’t crisis intervention; it was just me saying I need to save my marriage. That’s how it all started.”

During that first meeting, Rosener and his provider established a plan of care, including therapy sessions twice a week and taking six months off firefighting duty.

“The MnFIRE liaison told me not to worry about sick time and just focus on myself and my family,” Rosener said. “I felt 1,000% supported.”

Rosener’s therapy sessions used a combination of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and acceleration resolution therapy.

“Once I started it, I started immediately unpacking some of the trauma, he said. “It was explained to me that it’s just like a physical injury – how your brain takes days to even process what we see before we can even make sense of it. It really opened my eyes.”

Rosener also learned tools – like grounding, changing body chemistry and changing his physical environment – to help him cope with everyday life.

“When I feel anger coming on, I recognize it and use these tools before seeing red,” Rosener said.

For example, when Rosener starts to get agitated, he will take a break and go to his garage to organize his tools or take the dog for a walk to calm himself down.

Along with tools to cope, therapy has also given Rosener a new perspective on life.

“I realized I am very lucky to have the greatest job in the world, but no matter what, my family comes first,” he said. “I won’t miss another important day. I want to be there for those memories.”

Ten months after his initial outreach for help, Rosener said he and his family are together and doing a lot better, thanks to therapy sessions through MnFIRE and doing the work to make a change. Rosener was also able to return to full duty without restrictions thanks to the help he received through MnFIRE.

“To ask for help was a big deal for me,” he said. “I’m glad I did it, my family is glad I did it. But it’s always going to be a work in process. Having those tools is a great asset.”

His peers in the fire service have also been supportive of Rosener’s road to recovery. As more people in his profession talk about mental health support, Rosener hopes getting help when needed becomes the norm. He knows both sides as a skeptic turned believer in therapy.

“The stigma of suck it up and the perceived weakness needs to die before more of us (in the fire service) do,” Rosener said.

Confidential help is available any time for any Minnesota firefighter and their family through the MnFIRE Assistance Program. For more details or for help, call 888-784-6634 or click here.

Contributed by Nicholas E. Blonien, D.O.

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) lists six key pillars to wellness: sleep, nutrition, exercise, substance use, stress management, and healthy relationships. While these are all essential components of a well-rounded approach to health optimization, there may be a seventh undeclared pillar that deserves our attention: exposure to nature.

In the United States, we spend the majority of our time in the built environment, man-made structures that provide the setting for human activity: cars, roads, buildings, electronic screens and more. As a result, we live far removed from the environment we were intended to operate in – nature.

While it is difficult to measure the physical and psychosocial impacts the built environment has had on human health and wellness, it’s clear that noise, toxic exposures, pollution and more sedentary living are harmful products of this. Escaping from these factors, even for brief periods throughout the week, can make a significant impact on wellness.

Researchers have investigated the effects of routine nature exposure on overall health. They’ve found that activities like “forest bathing” (taking a walk through the woods) can have positive effects on the mind, gut, heart, immunity, endocrine function and more.

To experience a boost to your mental, physical and emotional health:

Be intentional about getting exposure to the natural world.

Walking through a forest or along a lakeside is a great way to escape noise, breathe fresh air and get in some exercise. While stepping out your front door can do the trick, you may find added motivation in a new area to explore. Here’s a map of all the state parks in Minnesota plus information on “Free Park Day,” when vehicle permit fees are waived for all Minnesota state parks. Plus, here are some outdoor recreation ideas from Explore Minnesota.

Look to do this a couple times per week.

Limited research suggests at least 20 minutes of nature exposure a day is important, with at least 120 minutes per week as the goal.

For additional information on the benefits of the outdoors, check out the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Nature as Medicine: The 7^th (Unofficial) Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine.

Other no-cost health resources

For emotional and mental health support, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) provides confidential resources targeting the stress unique to the fire service – including counseling visits and peer support – to Minnesota firefighters and their families at no cost through the MnFIRE Assistance Program. Call 888-784-6634 or click here to learn more and get help.

MnFIRE also offers trainings that focus on firefighter occupational health risks including cancer, cardiac and emotional wellness, plus deep-dive trainings on sleep, nutrition and fitness. Click here to learn more and register your department for a no-cost training.

35 years ago, Kip Springer planned to become a police officer. In hopes of gaining work experience while he earned his law enforcement degree, he became a volunteer firefighter at Eden Prairie Fire Department – and it lit a spark.

“Anybody who starts in the fire service will tell you that there’s just this passion that kicks in,” said Springer. “And that’s where I wanted to be. I was really, really happy being a firefighter.”

He continued as a paid-on-call firefighter with the Eden Prairie Fire Department for 20 years, eventually leaving his construction job in the private sector to become a full-time firefighter. After rising through the ranks during stints at the Plymouth Fire Department and the Eagan Fire Department, he is now Fire Chief for the City of Rosemount.

It was this professional journey through leadership development that led him to his thyroid cancer diagnosis. A vendor at a 2015 Fire Chiefs conference in Colorado was showcasing an artery scanner and Springer gave the new technology a try. While he received a clean bill of health there, the technician noted nodules on Springer’s thyroid and suggested he have them checked by his primary doctor back home.

“My doctor emphasized that a lot of people have these, and it’s usually nothing,” said Springer. “But they put me on a monitoring plan, getting ultrasounds every five years to keep an eye out for any changes.”

On one of those routine visits, it was immediately clear to Springer that the ultrasound technician noticed something different.

“She said, ‘We’ll pass everything on to the doctor and they’ll follow up with you.’ I knew right there something wasn’t right. And unfortunately with [digital charts] nowadays, you can see everything they enter into the system. And so, I knew before the doctor even called me.”

Springer was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Despite being detected early, it was a blow to his family, as his wife had successfully completed breast cancer treatment just six years prior.

“We knew that life. We had to work through those struggles and the financial impacts of my wife not being able to work,” recalled Springer. “We were just digging ourselves out of a hole from the last [diagnosis], and then you get another cancer diagnosis in your family and you just worry so badly about the impact that’ll have.”

Having helped bring MnFIRE training to his fire department, Springer was aware of MnFIRE and the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) resources. But he wasn’t familiar with the logistics of filing a critical illness claim. Bolstered by the encouragement of a firefighter friend, he made the call, and received the full benefit of $20,000. It was a prescription for peace of mind.

“With my wife’s cancer, we were digging into savings and cashing out other investments to help cover costs. This time, I didn’t have to worry about that. I could focus on my health. I could focus on my family.”

Springer underwent a thyroidectomy to remove the cancer. He is now cancer free taking medicine daily and receiving annual monitoring checks. His wife is also healthy and received the “all clear” after several scans showed her cancer has remained in remission.

While he appreciated the privacy granted through the HHAP, Springer now feels compelled to share his story with his fellow firefighters, all who face greater occupational health risks such as cancer, cardiac disease and mental health struggles.

“Firefighters need to know these resources are out there for them,” said Springer. “This program can help you so that if the day ever comes, you are not panicking trying to figure out what to do. You already know who to call to get that help.”

Critical Illness Program details

As part of the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, all Minnesota firefighters are automatically enrolled in a statewide Critical Illness insurance policy which covers diagnoses of cancer, cardiac or other critical illnesses, and provides a lump-sum cash payment up to $20,000 to assist with expenses like medical bills and travel costs to and from specialist visits. Qualified claims for diagnosed illnesses from August 1, 2021, and on are eligible. The firefighter has one year from the date of diagnosis to file the claim. For more information or to file a claim, call 888-784-6634 or visit securian.com/mnfire-insurance.

NAMI Minnesota presented the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) with the “Transforming Attitudes Award” at its annual conference on November 9, 2024, at Saint Paul RiverCentre. The Award recognizes an individual or organization that has promoted justice, dignity, and respect and worked to transform attitudes toward people with mental illnesses.

NAMI Minnesota commended MnFIRE for providing Minnesota’s firefighters with the tools they need to prioritize and protect their health by focusing on the three health problems most commonly experienced by those in the fire service: cardiac, emotional trauma, and cancer.

“Firefighters are there for traumatic events but have often suffered in silence, leading to higher rates of depression, substance use, PTSD, and suicide,” said Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota. “The Minnesota Firefighter Initiative works to change attitudes towards treatment among firefighters and provides resources, especially to the many volunteer firefighters across our state. And they are succeeding!”

In 2023, 1,400 firefighters sought assistance, and there have been more than 1,150 counseling visits through the MnFIRE Assistance Program so far this year. NAMI Minnesota applauds MnFIRE for changing attitudes and eliminating barriers to caring for our first responders.

Rebecca Otto, MnFIRE’s Executive Director, accepted the award on behalf of the organization, thanking NAMI Minnesota and emphasizing their ongoing commitment to mental health and community support.

“We’re honored to receive recognition for the work we are doing to improve mental health in the fire service. We are proud of the work we do to fill a critical need in the Minnesota fire service by providing  emotional wellness training, peer support and access to mental health providers – and to positively change attitudes of firefighters around seeking mental health help.”

For confidential help, Minnesota firefighters and their families can always call our 24/7 hotline at 888-784-6634.