VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Although they’re responding to dangerous situations daily, fires aren’t the leading cause of death for firefighters. Instead, it’s a silent killer: cancer.
Last summer, Michelle Gallina’s life was turned upside down when her husband, Matt, was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer.
“He was in excellent shape, worked out every day,” she said. "So it definitely was a huge impact when we found out there was something brewing."
Investigations
Firefighters at higher risk of cancer diagnosis
When a fire breaks out, firefighters don’t just have the blaze to contend with. Cancerous materials could get on their uniforms, or they could breathe in toxic chemicals.
“When a call comes out, they have no idea what to expect until they’re actually in that situation,” Gallina told News 3.
Matt was presumed to have cancer after taking what’s called a Galleri Test, a state of the art, early detection, blood test. Virginia Beach firefighters were able to get the tests earlier in 2023. He is currently undergoing treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The program is scheduled to last about 6 weeks
The Department's Assistant Chief, Norman Williams, thinks this is a good start, but would like to see workers get screened for all cancers annually, like thyroid and testicular.
Watch previous coverage: News 3 investigates rate of cancer diagnosis amongst firefighters
“[There's] different types of screening for different types of cancer," Williams said. "And we actually need to increase our testing for a lot of those."
At the Virginia Beach City Council meeting on Jan. 23, it was mentioned that State Senator Aaron Rouse submitted a budget amendment for $350,000 per year to fund cancer screenings to all public employees who responded to the 2012 jet crash. News 3 reached out to Rouse's office to confirm that, but they are yet to respond.
“These men and women are running into these situations, and they’re always there to help,” Gallina said. "So to help them, just helps the community."
