By Rita Reith
The Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) continues to take aim at Cancer in the Fire Service with the recent purchase of a Chemical Detox Sauna, built to help firefighters eliminate deadly toxins from their body after fighting fires. Firefighters from IFD first discovered the Chemical Detox Sauna at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC International) in 2015, when Canadian Rodney Palmer, owner of SaunaRay, attended as one of the 875 vendors who exhibit at the conference every year. IFD Firefighters were conducting a full court press with their efforts to eradicate cancer in the fire service and looking for ways to help keep themselves safe. SaunaRay built a product that fully understands a target demographic desperate to stop yet another firefighter dying from Cancer. With the advantage of having the FDIC Conference in Indianapolis, IFD gratefully acknowledges that over the last 22 years they have benefitted from the opportunity to learn the latest techniques in firefighter safety, health and training, while utilizing the newest in fire ground tools and apparatus. Not to mention the over 25 Hands on Training classes, 80 workshops and 200 classroom sessions afforded firefighters in Indianapolis and surrounding areas as a thank you from FDIC for the teamwork and hundreds of hours it takes to make the conference happen. Firefighters from over 53 countries are represented amongst the over 30,000 firefighters who attend every year.
Palmer was approached by several IFD Firefighters at the 2015 conference, all asking how the product worked and why it was so beneficial. This deadly disease now reaching epidemic proportions within the fire service, had stricken one too many IFD firefighters and as a department IFD was prepared to strike back. Please see the attachment with information about the SaunaRay Chemical Detox Sauna. In late 2016 Chief Ernest Malone reached out to the 43 House Captains on IFD asking for a wish list of sorts. Within the IFD budget was a small amount of money that he was willing to allocate to one or more “special projects” requests that the house captains thought might benefit the firefighters at their station. One reply came from Station 44 Captain Tim McDonnell, a 30 plus year firefighter and cancer survivor. His wish list request? A SaunaRay Chemical Detox Sauna. He was one of the members who inquired about the sauna at the conference in 2015 and knew from the subsequent research that this could be the IFD’s next step. Chief Ernest Malone couldn’t agree more. A small price to pay for the enormous opportunity to give the firefighters the necessary tools to stay safe and ownership in the knowledge that ours is a dangerous profession but it doesn’t have to kill us.
In August of 2015, Chief Ernest Malone announced the official and full implementation of the 11 recommendations as published by the non-profit Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN National) Cancer White Paper “Taking Action Against Cancer in the Fire Service." IFD was the first department in the US to utilize and mandate all 11 recommendations. IFD personnel received training and equipment recommended by the study as part of its ongoing effort to reduce the risk of firefighters exposure to deadly carcinogens. IFD firefighters were provided with the latest protective clothing, equipment and participation in initiatives such as the "Tobacco Free: IFD" (since 2001),” Annual Physical and Wellness Evaluations through Public Safety Medical, full participation in the IAFF Ten Cities Wellness Fitness Initia