We know that firefighters face cancer at a higher rate than the general public. But there are still several unknowns surrounding the connection between firefighters and their increased risks for cancer. The National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer is aiming to close that gap by helping researchers better understand and reduce the risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters.
What is the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer?
Created by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the NFR is recruiting all U.S. firefighters to join its free registry. With long-term monitoring, the NFR will be able to link its data with state cancer diagnosis records, studying the relationship between firefighting and cancer outcomes to inform new health and safety measures for the fire service.
Who can join the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer?
Participation in the NFR is open to all U.S. firefighters, with or without cancer, no matter their length of service. This includes:
- Active, former and retired firefighters
- Career, part-time, paid-on-call and volunteer firefighters
- Instructors
- Fire investigators
- Other fire service members
It’s important that firefighters with and without cancer diagnoses join the NFR because having information from both will allow NIOSH scientists to compare those who develop cancer over time to those who do not. Having all types of firefighters (structural, wildland and others) represented in the NFR will best support efforts to examine the relationship between firefighting and cancer. The more researchers know about cancer, the more that can be done to prevent it.
How the National Firefighter Registry works
It’s easy to register for the NFR using a computer or smartphone. Firefighters can answer a questionnaire through the NFR’s secure website, including name, date of birth and details about their work in the fire service, exposures, health and lifestyle. If a firefighter receives a cancer diagnosis, NIOSH researchers will be able to match a firefighter’s NFR profile with the diagnosis through state cancer registries. This confidential connection makes it possible to study the relationship between firefighting and cancer, which could ultimately help reduce cancer among firefighters for generations to come.
Join the National Firefighter Registry
Participation is voluntary, and you can get started in just five minutes. Full registration can take up to 30 minutes to answer questions about your fire service history and exposures.
Join now and help protect your brothers and sisters in the fire service.
Become a Gold Helmet Department
NIOSH recognizes fire departments with high participation in the NFR as Gold Helmet Departments. After 50% of a department’s active firefighters or more than 300 of their active firefighters are enrolled in the NFR, the department will be recognized as a Gold Helmet Department. Visit the Gold Helmet Departments page to learn more.
Learn more about cancer risk in the fire service
Through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, MnFIRE provides no-cost health and wellness training for all Minnesota fire departments. In addition to the general MnFIRE Awareness class that gives an overview on firefighter occupational health risks, one of the five deep-dive training sessions available focuses exclusively on cancer risks and prevention. Click here to learn more and register for a training.
