BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Firefighter interest in last week's free ultrasound cancer screenings was so high that the Department of Fire Services extended the event by a full day to meet the demand, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said.

 

"Firefighters are more likely to develop cancer than the public they protect," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "They're more likely to develop it earlier in life and receive a later diagnosis. Our cancer programs provide awareness, prevention, and early detection resources to help firefighters understand the risks, protect their health, and enjoy long, healthy retirements."

 

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy contracts with volunteers and vendors to deliver cancer screenings on behalf of DFS. The program offers skin cancer screenings, chest CT scans, PSA blood tests, mammograms, and ultrasounds to eligible call, volunteer, career, and retired firefighters. Most screenings are performed at area hospitals, but last week's screenings were conducted at the DFS campus in Bridgewater.

 

Initially scheduled to run from March 4-6, the sessions quickly exceeded capacity and an extra day was added on March 3. In all, 60 firefighters received the ultrasound screening, which is a non-invasive technique that uses sound waves to reveal areas of concern in the thyroid, spleen, gall bladder, kidneys, bladder, testes, or pelvis that could be cancerous.

 

"These screenings are confidential and there is no cost to firefighters or their departments," said Abby Baker of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, who coordinates the DFS firefighter cancer program. "We want to screen as many firefighters as possible, and we want to make it as easy as possible."

 

The number of firefighter cancer screenings provided through the program nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025. Skin cancer screenings, which have been offered since 2018, rose from 612 to 785. Newer programs saw sharper increases: CT scans increased from 99 to 168; PSA blood tests from 44 to 160; ultrasounds from 91 to 255; and mammograms from two to nine.

 

Also in 2025, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy rolled out a new instructor-led cancer awareness presentation in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The new presentation, "Doing it Right: Reducing Cancer in the Fire Service," updates an earlier cancer prevention program and highlights cancer prevention best practices on and off the job.  It also promotes the benefits of early detection through screenings and awareness of baseline health. So far this year, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy has delivered it to about 600 new recruits, about 50 chiefs and senior officers, and about 230 firefighters at various ranks in between. Another 25 firefighters have taken a train-the-trainer course that empowers them to deliver the presentation effectively at local and regional fire departments.