National Volunteer Fire Council Partners With Exposure Tracker Program
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has partnered with San Diego-based company VaultRMS in the fight against firefighter cancer. NVFC members will be able to use VaultRMS’s Exposure Tracker Program for the extra low rate of just $1 per month for the first year and $2 per month after that so they can easily track their exposure to possible carcinogens over the course of their careers.
Cancer is one of the biggest threats to firefighter health and safety. Studies show that firefighters are at a higher risk of contracting multiple forms of cancer than the general population. A significant factor in this is that firefighters are routinely exposed to high levels of carcinogens found in burning building materials and other hazardous environments. While there are steps firefighters can take to help protect themselves, tracking their exposure is key in getting the appropriate benefits in the event of a cancer diagnosis.
“A recent study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health illustrates the relationship between time spent at fires and cancer rates among firefighters. All too often firefighters face a bureaucratic challenge to get timely benefits if they can’t provide documentation on the exposures they’ve gotten,” said Chris Memmott, Founder of VaultRMS.
Through the Exposure Tracker Program, firefighters and other first responders can track their toxic and communicable disease exposures and injuries. This allows them to better understand their risks, more effectively communicate these risks to their healthcare provider, and provide needed documentation to receive benefits if they contract cancer or other illness caused by on-the-job exposures.
“We feel that the people on the front lines volunteering to save the lives of others – such as NVFC members – should not have to battle for benefits and struggle to prove that their illnesses were work-related,” Memmott said. “With Exposure Tracker, firefighters can log the number of fires they’ve fought, the duration of their exposure, their role at the fire, and the ages of the burning structures they enter. This information is critical to get the benefits they deserve and provide data for further research.”
“The NVFC is committed to firefighter and emergency responder health and safety, and our partnership with VaultRMS will provide an affordable way for volunteers to efficiently and effectively track their exposures and analyze these exposure incidents over time,” said Heather Schafer, CEO of the NVFC. “The Exposure Tracker Program is a vital tool in the battle against cancer.”
An important step in addressing firefighter cancer is understanding risks, exposure rates, and other data. A large part of VaultRMS’ mission is to donate the anonymized datasets to cancer researchers to further the fight against cancer in the fire service.
To take advantage of the special NVFC member rate for Exposure Tracker, visit the Members-Only section of the NVFC web site. Learn more about membership and join at www.nvfc.org/BeYourBest.
About The National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, education, programs, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at http://www.nvfc.org
About VaultRMS’ Exposure Tracker
VaultRMS launched the Exposure Tracker in January 2015 to give first responders a simple way to document and track all of their toxic and communicable disease exposures. Since launching, VaultRMS has worked with fifteen fire departments across U.S. and Canada and served over 1,000 firefighters across North America. Learn more at https://www.exposuretrackerapp.com.
