Firefighters in Syracuse, along with Senator Charles Schumer, are pushing to create the first ever national firefighter cancer registry.
Firefighters are more at risk for cancer because they're exposed to toxic chemicals on the job.
This new registry would help doctors track and treat firefighters with cancer. It's a difficult reality that's not new to the department in Syracuse.
Michael Valenti with the Firefighter Cancer Foundation says what comes along with it is more danger - even after flames have been put out.
"Our job is killing us. We know it's taken between 11 and 13 years off of our life," Valenti said.
For the men and women who make a career out of helping others, like Alex Cimino, it's a step lawmakers hope will make a difference in their lives once they hang up the helmet.