Read the full article by Jordan Cade (West Virginia Watch).
“Women now make up 9% of the U.S. fire service, yet they remain underrepresented in research and policy, leaving many gender-specific occupational hazards overlooked. Firefighters, compared with the general population, face a significantly increased risk of developing several types of cancer, many of which are recognized under presumptive workers’ compensation laws.
When female firefighters develop cancers such as ovarian, uterine, breast or cervical — conditions linked to toxic exposures — West Virginia law provides no protection. While these illnesses are recognized at the federal level under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, the state’s presumptive conditions list does not include them, which would automatically provide compensation and medical support. As a result, women on the state level face a double burden: coping with serious illness while fighting for the benefits and recognition they deserve.
Women are exposed to the same conditions as their male counterparts in the firefighting profession. The health hazard mainly arises from constant exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances present in aqueous film-forming foam used to extinguish fuel-based fires, as well as in the turnout gear they use every day during training and interventions. PFAS, or so-called ‘forever chemicals,’ are highly carcinogenic compounds that have been scientifically linked to various types of cancers and endocrine disruptions.”…