Winnipeg firefighters battle to prevent cancer

Every year firefighters around the world die of work-related cancers, which is why January is dedicated to bringing awareness to the occupational hazard.

Every year firefighters around the world die of work-related cancers, which is why January is dedicated to bringing awareness to the occupational hazard.

For Winnipeg firefighter Derek Balcaen, this month is personal.

“At the age of 43, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which is not the news anyone wants to get and no history of it in the family and really my only indicator was a contributing factor, I suppose, was firefighting,” Balcaen said.

After about a year of treatment, Balcaen, who’s also the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg vice-president, finally received some good news.

“Yesterday at a meeting with our doctor I finally got my clean bill of health after all the treatments,” Balcaen said. “We are in the clear for the time being.”

Unfortunately, this kind of diagnosis isn’t unique to Balcaen.

“I would say every other week we are made aware of somebody, either an active member or a retiree, fighting some sort of cancer,” said Tom Bilous, United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president.

The dangerous nature of the job puts many at risk related to repeated exposure to toxins.