On October 29, at 10:00 am at Fire Station 9, located at 1648 Midland Terrance Durham, the Durham Fire Department and Department Chief Robert Zoldos will receive the Firefighter Hero Award from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and MAGLITE®.
Chief Zoldos was honored in a ceremony on October 29 by MAGLITE® and the NFFF for his extraordinary efforts in battling carcinogen related cancer among firefighters. Firefighters have a much higher incidence of cancer and cancer related deaths than the general population due to their exposure to smoke and harsh chemicals in some fires and other carcinogens.
The Durham Fire Department has served as a model to reduce exposure to their members and by partnering with the Duke Cancer Institute; the fire service will be able to expand its knowledge about the cancer problem. Furthermore, the Durham Fire Department has demonstrated its commitment by purchasing back up sets of gear for their members and implementing best practices immediately following a fire incident to further reduce exposures to carcinogens. Though purchasing gear and conducting decontamination measures on a scene isn’t unique for fire departments, the extra measure of conducting a study with a local cancer institute makes the work of the Durham Fire Department stand out in its efforts to address occupational cancer.
“It’s always a good day when we can take the time to acknowledge the great work being done by firefighters and fire departments around the country,” said Chief Ronald Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “Thanks to MAGLITE, we hope this will have a profound impact on firefighters around the country and inspire everyone to take practical steps to reduce their risks of cancer exposures. More people will now know about the great efforts by the fire service to keep us all safe.”
The National Firefighter Hero program is a joint effort between MAGLITE® and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The program periodically honors single firefighters, groups or whole departments for extraordinary commitment to upholding excellence in firefighting and related activities.
“Our commitment to our firefighters and other first-responders is part of our culture and history at Maglite and we will never waiver from it,” said Anthony Maglica, Founder and CEO of Mag Instrument Inc. “This is why we are committed to supporting this program and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. I am very happy to honor these true heroes with this award and a donation to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in their name which will be permanently displayed on a brick at the National Fallen Firefighters Walk of Honor.”
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