By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The Fairmont, West Virginia, Fire Department received a $246,000 FEMA grant Thursday to launch a health and wellness program for its 41 full-time firefighters, in partnership with WVU Medicine.
- The program will include targeted cancer screenings, general health assessments and behavioral health support addressing PTSD, anxiety and depression.
- The announcement follows Fairmont becoming the first fire department in West Virginia last month to earn the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Gold Helmet designation, which tracks firefighter cancer rates and emphasizes screening and prevention.
- Fire Chief Brian Starn cited a February fire at a former funeral home that exposed firefighters to toxic airborne chemicals, including benzene, polycyclic hydrocarbons and formaldehyde, despite protective gear.
- Aaron Yanuzo, president of WVU Medicine’s Fairmont Medical Center, said the partnership reflects a commitment to firefighter health matching the risks they take on for the community.
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The Fairmont Fire Department is launching a health and wellness program for its firefighters after receiving a $246,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, department officials announced Thursday.
The grant, awarded to the city, will fund targeted cancer screenings and general health assessments for the department’s 41 full-time firefighters, along with behavioral health support addressing PTSD, anxiety and depression, according to Fire Chief Brian Starn. The program is being developed in partnership with WVU Medicine.
Starn pointed to a February fire at the former J.G. Lampkin Funeral Home on Pennsylvania Avenue as an example of the chemical exposure firefighters regularly face. Burning carpets, curtains, wood paneling and antique furniture released benzene, polycyclic hydrocarbons, formaldehyde and other toxins that firefighters inhaled despite wearing respirators and other protective equipment. “We use synthetics in everything,” Starn said, referring to the plastics-based materials common in home and commercial construction. The American Cancer Society has documented elevated rates of skin, kidney, lung and esophageal cancers among firefighters tied to such exposures, a risk Starn said is compounded in north-central West Virginia, where older buildings often contain asbestos.
The new program follows Fairmont’s designation last month as the first fire department in West Virginia to achieve NIOSH’s Gold Helmet status, which tracks cancer rates among firefighters while emphasizing screening and prevention. “It’s a tremendous investment in the health, safety and future of our firefighters,” said Starn, whose father also served as the department’s chief. “We’re excited about our partnership with WVU Medicine.”
Aaron Yanuzo, president of WVU Medicine’s Fairmont Medical Center, said the partnership reflects an obligation to those who respond to emergencies others are fleeing. “They deserve the same commitment to their health and safety that they provide for all of us,” Yanuzo said, so firefighters “can return home safely to their families after every shift.”