Firefighters put their lives on the line for us every day. But sometimes, the dangers they face are hidden beneath the surface. Firefighters are 14 percent more likely to die from cancer than the general U.S. population. Additionally, cancer, not fires, is the biggest killer of America’s firefighters.
No one knows this more than TJ Maury, Assistant Chief of Training at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chase, LA. Diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer, Maury was one of the many firefighters suffering from cancer in the U.S. His story caught the attention of Mike Rowe, host of the acclaimed Dirty Jobs TV show.
Rowe visited Maury and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in a recent episode of his Facebook series Returning The Favor.
During Rowe’s visit, he got to witness an F18 Simulator Training exercise. Using one of Fireblast Global’s ARFF props, firefighters practiced extinguishing a fire on an F18 fighter jet.
“When we do our approach, we’ve got to protect [ourselves],” Maury explained in the episode. “So, if there’s fuel we sweep the ground so we’re not standing in it. And [then] we worry about protecting the pilot.”
After the initial training was complete, Rowe got to try his hand at the training exercise. While Rowe put in a good effort, these things are better left to the professionals.
To watch the episode, follow this link. And if you’d like to learn more about Fireblast Global’s ARFF props, contact us today!