# Garden Route District fire chief, Deon Stoffels, has called for urgent awareness around cancer risks linked to firefighting. In a statement on International Firefighters’ Day, Stoffels highlighted the dangers of long-term exposure to fires and hazardous materials, now classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation. He urged investment in firefighter health and stressed the importance of using all protective measures to combat inhalation and absorption hazards in the line of duty.
Fire chief calls for cancer risk awareness on International Firefighters’ Day