By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health announced that its National Firefighter Registry for Cancer has reached 50,000 enrolled firefighters, a milestone in the federal effort to study occupational cancer risks in the fire service.
- • The registry is open to all U.S. firefighters — paid, volunteer, active, and retired — regardless of personal cancer history, and collects health, work history, and exposure data to support cancer research.
- • More than 165 fire departments across 32 or more states have achieved Gold Helmet status, meaning at least 50% of their active firefighters or more than 300 active members are enrolled.
- • NIOSH has established data-sharing partnerships with the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters’ Personal Injury and Illness Exposure Reporting System, and the International Public Safety Data Institute’s Exposure Tracker to improve research efficiency and reduce duplicate reporting.
- • The agency is actively studying emerging fire service exposure concerns, including biological effects from large-scale incident response and chemical exposures associated with electric vehicle fires.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health announced that its National Firefighter Registry for Cancer has enrolled 50,000 firefighters, marking a significant milestone in the federal government’s effort to better understand the relationship between occupational fire service exposures and cancer, the agency reported June 4, 2026.
The registry, managed by NIOSH and accessible at NFR.CDC.gov, collects self-reported health information, work history, and exposure data from firefighters across the country. Enrollment is open to all U.S. firefighters — including paid, volunteer, active, and retired members — and does not require a prior cancer diagnosis to participate. The data collected is used by researchers to identify patterns linking occupational exposures to specific cancer types and outcomes.
NIOSH reported that more than 165 fire departments in at least 32 states have achieved Gold Helmet status, a designation awarded to departments where at least 50% of active firefighters or more than 300 active members are enrolled. The participating departments span a broad cross-section of fire service models, from small rural volunteer organizations to large urban career departments.
To strengthen its research capabilities, NIOSH has established data-sharing collaborations with three partner initiatives: the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters’ Personal Injury and Illness Exposure Reporting System, and the International Public Safety Data Institute’s Exposure Tracker. The collaborations are designed to improve researchers’ understanding of long-term firefighter health outcomes and reduce duplicative reporting requirements across programs. The registry’s public data dashboard has also been updated to include enrollment trends, an overview of the most commonly self-reported cancer types, and information on cancer risk factors and screening guidelines.
In addition to the registry milestone, NIOSH said it is using related research findings to develop practical guidance materials for firefighters, including science bulletins on contaminated gear and gear laundering protocols, as well as an infographic on proper gear removal at fire scenes. The agency also indicated it is actively investigating emerging occupational health concerns in the fire service, specifically the biological effects of large-scale incident response and the nature and extent of chemical exposures that occur during electric vehicle fire suppression operations.