When former Concord firefighter Chris Andrews introduced himself to city councilors, he described himself as “a cancer survivor — at least for now.”
At the outset of his career, new types of protective gear, including the addition of breathing equipment and innovations in boot and pant materials, had made Andrews feel safer than his predecessors.
“I was part of a new generation,” he said. “I felt somewhat invincible.” In his 40s, he listened when national organizations started to raise alarm bells about the presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in the gear he had trusted to protect him. It made him vigilant about getting thorough health screenings at the first sign of trouble. In 2021, that vigilance led to the discovery that he had prostate cancer and, after choosing to have his prostate removed, that it had been far more serious than his doctor originally thought.