No one should have to face cancer by themselves.
If you’re a firefighter who has recently been diagnosed — or a loved one or colleague supporting them — know this: You’re not alone.
At the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative, we understand how difficult being diagnosed with cancer can be, even for the toughest among us. That’s why we support the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to assisting firefighters and their families in the wake of a diagnosis.
The Firefighter Cancer Support Network provides:
- One-on-one mentoring from a fire service mentor who has also battled cancer
- A toolbox that includes resources such as the nonprofit’s “Firefighter’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship” and other information aimed at helping navigate doctor’s visits and interactions with loved ones and colleagues in the fire service
- Support resources for family members
It can be easy following a cancer diagnosis to slip into despair. The shock, fear, and uncertainty can be paralyzing — and for many, the first instinct is to turn to the internet for answers. But instead of providing fact-based information, the internet all too often makes the situation worse, serving up worst-case scenarios, grim statistics, and emotionally charged stories that paint a bleak and inaccurate picture of what lies ahead.
The truth is that cancer outcomes today are more hopeful than ever — and that the journey is made easier with access to accurate information and a robust support system.
A cancer diagnosis can be life changing. And the way forward may feel uncertain. But it’s a path that no firefighter in Utah has to navigate alone.
Firefighters and their family can also directly contact Michael Conn, director of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network Utah, at