The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) remains proactive and committed to the health and wellness of its fire fighters (FF). Early cancer detection is vital to increasing the chances of survival, and the HFD aims to continue its potentially life-saving health initiative that it launched last November for its uniformed personnel.

According to national studies, FFs have a 9% higher chance of developing cancer than the general public and are 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general public. This reality is why the HFD commenced an HFD Wellness Screening Program to guarantee free, voluntary, and confidential cancer screening for its uniformed personnel.

This year, from September 7 to 11, the HFD partnered with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and the Hawaii Dermatological Association to also provide free skin cancer visual screenings to active duty uniformed personnel.

The HFD is also offering another round of cancer screening to eligible personnel who did not receive a screening last year. The HFD will again use the Galleri Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test that can detect more than 50 different types of cancer in its earliest stage. This test is conducted through a simple blood draw which detects cancer cells within deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples. Results are confidential and sent directly to the employee within 10-14 days.

The HFD is committed to its workforce, and these proactive health measures align with its mission to ensure public safety through prevention and preparedness.