Episode

Cancer prevention and PPE in the fire service

Podcast
Fire Fighting in Canada: The Podcast
Published
Oct 3, 2025
Duration seconds
1273
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://fire-fighting-in-canada.captivate.fm
Audio
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ed7e1d1e-6364-4761-8bea-8863989cc209.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/fire-fighting-in-canada-the-podcast-4427714/episodes/cancer-prevention-and-ppe-in-the-fire-service
Markdown
/podcast/fire-fighting-in-canada-the-podcast-4427714/cancer-prevention-and-ppe-in-the-fire-service.md

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Summary

Fire Chief Clarence Coolen shares his personal battle with cancer and how that experience motivated him to prioritize cancer prevention for the Hubbards District Volunteer Fire Department in Nova Scotia by securing new PFAS-free turnout gear for his entire crew — and securing the $170,000 budget for new safety equipment was no easy feat. This is one of several challenges of being a rural fire chief that Chief Coolen addresses, ultimately advising other small-department chiefs to advocate fiercely for their members' safety.