Orange County Fire Authority promotes cancer awareness

The Orange County Fire Authority takes cancer seriously and wants its firefighters, employees and the greater community to do the same.

American Charities

by
Carolyn Sostrom
08/19/2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The Orange County Fire Authority takes cancer seriously and wants its firefighters, employees and the greater community to do the same. They encourage everyone to take a proactive approach with cancer prevention and treatment.

Firefighters with the Orange County Fire Authority have raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and wear pink to spread cancer awareness.
Photo credit: Orange County Register

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimates that cancer is the second leading cause of death among firefighters, followed by cardiovascular disease. According to the Firefighter Cancer Alliance, cancer deaths among firefighters and fire service employees have risen dramatically over the last 20 years due to synthetic products, plastics and other toxic chemicals that can release carcinogens during a fire.
For firefighters, exposure to these materials can significantly increase their risk of developing cancer. Of course, firefighters are not immune to other types of cancer that affect the public too. The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) works to spread cancer awareness by encouraging screenings and proactive treatment plans.

The OCFA created a video with firefighters sharing their own personal experiences with cancer. The OCFA serves nearly 1.8 million people in 23 cities and in the unincorporated areas of Orange County, California, with 1,010 firefighters. Each summer in California and the rest of the West, wildfires rage and firefighters risk their own lives to protect the lives and homes of others in their communities. Coors Banquet supports these firefighters again this summer with its Protect Our West (POW) campaign. Coors donates funds from every purchase of a case or case equivalent of Coors Banquet beer to benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

Protect Our West Wildland-Firefighter-Foundation-(FI)

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation provides aid to firefighters injured while battling grass or forest fires throughout the Western region, and supports families of fallen wildland firefighters. The Foundation may also help with travel costs to bring family members to the bedside of an injured firefighter, or could help replace lost wages during a firefighter’s medical leave. For more information about services and support offered by the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, visit their website. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation and the Orange County Fire Authority share common goals of providing resources to help keep our country’s firefighters supported, healthy and safe. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

: POW Protect Our West

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Last Updated on 01/25/2019 by Carolyn Sostrom

About the Author:

Carolyn Sostrom

Biography:

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle.

She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*.

With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower.

She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.