Greenwood firefighters get access to breakthrough cancer screening

The process took only a few minutes — the prick of a needle, the drawing of blood and a quick bandage.

But as firefighter after firefighter at the headquarters of the Greenwood Fire Department sat with a phlebotomist from Community Health Network, they acknowledged the importance of what they were doing.

With cancer impacting a disproportionate number of firefighters, they had all come on Tuesday morning to get screened for more than 50 types of the disease.

“This is an opportunity for us. Firefighters are predisposed to different cancers, and the typical cancer screening you go to only looks for a couple of different cancers. This one covers 50 different types, and also precursors, to get way ahead of any issues,” said Greg Girard, EMS coordinator for Greenwood Fire Department. “It’s fantastic, especially when you’re in a career that’s pre-disposed to cancer.”

The screening was the result of a partnership between the Greenwood Fire Department, Community Health Network and GRAIL, a health care company focused on early cancer detection. The three entities have teamed up to provide current and retired members of the department access to the Galleri test, an innovative blood screening capable of detecting signals for over 50 types of cancer, often before symptoms appear.

For three hours Tuesday, 68 current firefighters and 54 retired firefighters came in to take part.

“They offered the benefit, they offered this screening, and it’s a good thing. It’s definitely worthwhile,” said Mike Venne, a 33-year part-time member of the department who is now retired.

Screening firefighters for cancer is increasingly imperative, due to the risk they face from developing cancer.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters are twice as likely to develop certain cancers compared to the general population. A 2023 report from the International Association of Fire Fighters found that approximately 72% of firefighter line-of-duty deaths were attributed to occupational cancer.

The nature of their job means firefighters can be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals in the form of gases, vapors and particulates, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Some of these chemical substances are known or suspected to cause cancer. Some of these hazardous substances are byproducts of combustion or burning, such as benzene and formaldehyde. Others come from the materials burning or in the fire debris, such as asbestos in older structures.

Firefighters can come into contact with chemicals by breathing them in, getting them on their skin or in their eyes, or by ingesting them.

“Firefighters are willing to put their lives on the line to save others. Cancer is one of the leading causes of firefighter death. It can affect them not only during their careers but years after due to the carcinogens they face on the job,” said Jon Myers, division chief of EMS for Greenwood Fire. “It’s not only our responsibility to give our crews the tools to do the job effectively, but also our responsibility to provide them with tools and resources to detect cancers or illnesses that are a result of the job.”

The partnership between Community Health Network and Greenwood Fire Department is an extension of a program Community Health started with the Fishers Fire Department last year. Discussions between the two turned to cancer screenings that Community could provide the department, and the Galleri test is what they decided to use.

Galleri is a multi-cancer early detection test that analyzes the blood for many of the deadliest cancers before they become symptomatic, including those with no recommended screening tests today.

The test looks for a unique “fingerprint” of cancer from DNA fragments shed from cancer cells, according to the Galleri website.

With the success of the partnership with Fishers, Community Health officials reached out to Greenwood to expand it.

“We have a lot of new equipment, a lot of new tools that give everyone the ability to do the job. But we also comes down to making sure they have the stuff after the job,” said Tyler Swardson, public information officer for Greenwood Fire Department. “We offered this to our retirees as well, so it’s nice to be able to give back to them and take a proactive approach to their health.”

Funding to provide the tests to the fire departments comes from the Community Health Network Foundation, which supports efforts by Community Health to improve health in the areas they serve.

“There’s no cost to this team. It’s completely funded by the foundation,” said Heather Rudicil, executive director of personalized medicine for Community Health Network.

Among the members of Greenwood’s department who came out to the screening on Tuesday, the elevated cancer risks were understood. That’s why they were thankful for having access to a tool like the Galleri test, to catch any problems early.

“It’s a great program because it’s not only reaching out to community members, but it’s reaching out to community members who serve the community back. It’s kind of a win-win-win all the way around,” Girard said.