VIDEO: About 68% of firefighters develop cancer at some point in their lives. That’s according to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. To help fight the disease, the West Fargo Fire Department has become a Gold Helmet Department. The Gold Helmet Challenge is when more than half of a department registers for the National Firefighter Registry, which is helping researchers understand, and reduce the risk of cancer among firefighters. “It’s completely voluntary. To have at least 50 percent or more of our fire department that has gone ahead and volunteered their information, and volunteered to be on the registry, is a pretty important thing,” said Fire Chief Dan Fuller with the West Fargo Fire Department. While doctors study, Essentia Oncologist Dr. Harish Ahuja says the most common cancers among firefighters include mesothelioma and bladder cancer.
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