Firefighter Cancer Awareness Drill for 04/13/26

 
By Vista Fire Department
April 14, 2026
 

This week’s Monday drill was “Firefighter Cancer Awareness (Fire & EMS)” for our members, presented by Lt. Paul Spennato of the Westport Fire Department and Still Responding Firefighter Cancer Awareness.

During this drill, Lt. Spennato shared his personal journey as a cancer survivor and spoke about the very real risks firefighters face from occupational cancer. Firefighters are regularly exposed to smoke, toxic chemicals, and carcinogens released during fires and emergency incidents. This presentation focused on cancer awareness, prevention, and the steps firefighters and EMS providers can take to reduce their exposure risks and protect their long-term health.

This type of training is extremely important because occupational cancer is one of the leading causes of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service today. By learning proper decontamination procedures, the importance of wearing protective equipment, and proactive health monitoring, our members can reduce their risk and protect themselves and their families.

We were joined by members of the South Salem Fire Department for this very important drill topic. We thank Lt. Spennato for taking the time to share his story and help educate our members on this critical topic.

For more information on how to become a member, call (914)-533-2727, email us at Info@VistaFD.org, visit https://www.vistafd.org/content/become/, or apply online here: https://www.vistafd.org/apply.