FOX25 Investigates uncovers alarming cancer rate among Boston firefighters

BOSTON — A Boston firefighter is diagnosed with cancer every two to three weeks. Officials estimate 67 percent of the firefighters in Boston could face a cancer diagnosis -- that's twice the rate of the general public.

Joe adduci has seen it all on the front lines as a Boston firefighter, but it was his battle with cancer in 2013 that rocked him.

"I was diagnosed with colon cancer," Aducci said. "It's starting to be talked about more and more."

Aducci says it was the years of fighting fires -- being exposed to toxic chemicals -- that lead to his cancer.

"You'd cough everything up and then you'd blow your nose and it would be black, black as coal," said Aducci. "I'm not surprised at all that I got cancer after the stuff I breathed in over the years. But I didn't know any better."

Many point to taking masks off while fighting fires. At Boston Fire headquarters, we found a wall of pictures -- the faces of those who've died from cancer related to the job.

"It's a serious problem that's gone on for years," Boston Fire Union president Rich paris said.

He has been pushing for changes that are now finally coming.

"I know the last administration, we brought it to them and they weren't interested in the well fitness of our firefighters," Paris said.

The numbers are truly shocking.

FOX25 Investigates uncovered that 180 Boston firefighters have died from occupational cancer since 1990.

Right now, 22 active duty firefighters are diagnosed with cancer. At least four more have stage four cancer.

"It is the primary issue for us right now," Boston Fire Commissioner Joe Finn said.

Finn has been focused on this since he took over in 2014.

"We are tactically changing how we do things," said Finn. "We're making sure we have the right number of resources on scene so we're not having long term chronic exposure by members who initially fought the fire."

A new video for Boston firefighters discusses the long term dangers of not following the new rules, which include wearing their masks more and using a new kind of air tank.

The changes were meant to ensure the wall of names doesn't grow. And people like Joe Aducci can keep doing what they love.

Cox Media Group