Bunnell, FL - It's the kind of gift which could save the lives of those who save lives for a living.
Flagler's Rotary Club and Hoods For Heroes gifted 115 cancer-preventing fire hoods recently for county firefighters and those who work for the City of Flagler Beach.
The $17,000 donation also included money from the Rotary Foundation, Jeff Evans State Farm, and State Farm’s national corporate office.
Unlike standard fire hoods, these have a special barrier meant to catch all kinds of particles before they come in contact with skin.
County Deputy Fire Chief Joe King says the cancer risk is much higher for firefighters than most people, making this kind of gear essential.
"In a residential structure fire, your normal furnishings in a house aren't natural wood like they were in the [19]40s and 50s and 60s," King added. "Everything now is made of plastic. When they burn, they're [hazardous materials]."
King - who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012 - calls this donation "incredible".
"Thyroid cancer is being diagnosed more and more in firefighters because of the carcinogens we are exposed to and that cling to our uniforms," King noted.
He's been cancer-free for over five years after having his thyroid gland and three infected lymph nodes surgically removed.
The City of Palm Coast already has these kinds of hoods available to their firefighters.
Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death for firefighters, according to the International Association of Firefighters.
A recent study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows firefighters have a 9% greater risk of getting cancer compared to the average American and a 14% increase in cancer-related deaths.
