NIOSH is recruiting firefighters to join the NFR so that we can better understand the link between firefighting and cancer.

Firefighters are exposed to chemicals on the fireground that could increase their risk of developing cancer. There are many unanswered questions about how cancer risk may vary across our nation’s diverse fire service.

What Firefighters Need to Know

1. Any firefighter can join the NFR

The NFR is open to all U.S. firefighters, not just those with a previous diagnosis of cancer. Having many types of firefighters join the NFR is crucial to examining relationships between firefighter activities and cancer. NIOSH encourages all firefighters to participate in the NFR, including:

Active, former, and retired firefighters

• Career, paid-on-call, and volunteer firefighters
• Structural firefighters
• Wildland firefighters
• Industrial firefighters
• Military firefighters
• Instructors
• Fire investigators
• Other fire service members

2. Registration is open

Firefighters can join the NFR through the secure web portal linked below. Participation is voluntary. Registration will take about 30 minutes. The NFR is a long-term project that will include voluntary, but important, follow-up questionnaires. Continued participation in the NFR is key to protecting firefighter health. The more researchers know about cancer in the fire service, the more we can do to prevent it.

More information can be found on the website.