“Cancer in the fire services is exploding exponentially,” Finn said. “Boston is at the epicenter.”

After more than 30 years on the force and three of them as commissioner, Finn, a Neponset native, is wrangling new equipment, new facilities, fine-tuning response times, and working with other first responders and fire departments to better address the longstanding risks and the expanding role of a modern urban fire force.

“The cancer rate is probably my biggest focus right now,” he said, sitting in the cafeteria of Florian Hall in Dorchester on Monday as a health fair took place. “Certainly, [there’s] public safety and the public. We’re doing a pretty good job on the civilian side of the house. Civilian fire deaths are down. We’re getting there, we’re doing our thing. Now I’m really focused on where we are with our firefighters.”

The new Sleaford station is part of a £6m project, approved by local councillors and county councillors in 2015, which will also include office space for council staff to move from their Riverside offices next to NKDC’s offices. Richard Hunter, locality manager for East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), said: “This is an exciting venture for the emergency services in Lincolnshire. “Residents will be aware that our station on Kesteven Street is old and as a result is getting very expensive to run and maintain. EMAS is a mobile healthcare provider treating patients in their home, at the scene of an incident and en route to hospital if further treatment is required. The majority of our time therefore is spent away from the current ambulance station.

Read more at: http://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/news/plans-for-ambulance-crews-to-share-new-sleaford-fire-station-1-8202231