Arizona firefighters attempt to break world records for cancer screenings

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Hundreds of Arizona firefighters are gathering in Tempe to attempt to break multiple Guinness World Records while saving lives.

On Saturday, the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona and the Firefighter48 Foundation are hosting #Project100, which will spotlight the firefighter cancer epidemic and raise awareness of the importance of early detection.

“We’re just trying to bring some awareness to what’s going on right now in the fire service,” said Ben Lindquist, a Phoenix firefighter and co-founder of Firefighter48 foundation. “We’re significantly more exposed to some things that cause cancer for us. So what we’re trying to do is, in a fun way, kind of shine light on that so that the community knows and maybe encourage some firefighters that weren’t otherwise going to get screened, to do so.”

The event will be held at Sunbar in Tempe, near 5th Street and Mill Avenue, from 12 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door. A Guinness World Record adjudicator will be present.

The firefighters are attempting to break three Guinness World Records for:

• Largest simultaneous group self-examination for testicular cancer (Current record: 236 participants)
• Largest group colon cancer awareness lesson (Current record: 250 participants)
• Most people to sign up for prostate cancer screenings in 8 hours (Current record: 258 participants)

The group came short of breaking the first two records. Results for the prostate screening sign-ups are expected to be announced later.

“Prostate cancer, kidney cancer and colon cancer is very prevalent for males in the fire service. We have a 14% greater chance of obtaining cancer because of the exposures we have from different PFAS and other things,” said Phoenix Fire Capt. Scott Crowley, who is also the secretary of the Firefighter48 Foundation. “The lesson today is going to be in education, that’s part of the world record and just an awareness of how to get screened and where to get screened.”

Phoenix Fire Capt. Tony Quint is a cancer survivor and says early detection is everything. “A lot of our guys are really struggling, and we have much more severe cancers within the fire service and within the Phoenix Fire Department,” said Capt. Quint.

He says about 190 firefighters currently have cancer, and that number continues to grow. “The sooner you get seen, the quicker they can get you in, evaluate you, have surgery or whatever other treatment may possibly need,” said Capt. Quint.

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