SALT LAKE CITY — A groundbreaking new clinic dedicated to screening firefighters for cancer has officially opened its doors, marking a major milestone in Utah’s fight to protect those who protect us.
The Utah Firefighter Health & Wellness Center, launched by the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative, is now offering what experts call the most comprehensive firefighter cancer screening program in the nation. The center’s mission is clear: catch cancer early, save lives.
The center’s opening comes just six months after the Utah Legislature unanimously passed H.B. 65, a bill that provides three years of funding for the initiative. The legislation positions Utah as a national leader in firefighter health and safety.
Research shows firefighters face cancer rates up to seven times higher than the general population. For Lehi Fire Chief Jeremy Craft, that statistic became personal.
“I was diagnosed with stage four prostate and kidney cancer,” Craft revealed, recalling a trip to Arizona where he and five other fire chiefs were screened. Only one of them came back with clean results, “I’ll always remember that feeling and make sure that doesn’t happen here as much as possible.”
Even before his diagnosis, Craft was working with other leaders to bring a screening center to Utah. His diagnosis only deepened his resolve.
“We just need to change the narrative on cancer and firefighters,” he said.
Brad Wardle, director of the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy and chair of the Utah Firefighter Task Force, emphasized the urgency of early detection.
“The only way we know how to deal with cancer right now is to find it early,” Wardle said. “Literally, there is nobody or no organization that is testing firefighters like we are now for cancer.”
The clinic will screen more than 500 firefighters annually, using advanced scans to detect 14 types of cancer known to disproportionately affect firefighters.
Dr. Kurt Hegmann, who has studied cancer in first responders for two decades, explained the stakes.
“When you ultimately find something, you don’t know at that point whether you’ve saved their life or not,” he said. “But you know you gave them a fighting chance to actually survive and thrive into retirement.”
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Rep. Casey Snider and other state leaders joined UFCI officials at the opening ceremony, celebrating a collaborative effort between Utah Valley University, the Utah State Fire Chiefs Association, the Professional Firefighters of Utah and the University of Utah-Weber State University Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health.
The center also houses a research program to better understand the link between firefighting and cancer, and to advocate for those already battling the disease.
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