Great question. It is really difficult to compare/separate these factors given how many decades NFPA standards have required the use of PFAS. There is very little data from prior to that to compare with "no PFAS gear." But, there have been several studies including this meta-analysis summarizing data of cancer rates among firefighters and the various factors. The major factor to focus on is that over the decades, exposure to smoke has decreased drastically due to the majority of calls now being non-fire (90% according to the NFPA) and the introduction of the SCBA. Yet, despite this huge reduction in exposure to smoke, cancer rates remain significantly higher in firefighters than the general population. Source: Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Firefighters: A State-of-the-Art Review and Meta-Analysis www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063017/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063017/

@@anymaygarden there has been a huge amount of legal work to hold the companies accountable and recover medical compensation to anyone that gets sick. But honestly it's blood money that we wish didn't have to be fought for. Future generations will benefit so much from our efforts today

@@AboveAverageJoeOfficial Captain Richard Burt outlines the first steps at the end: avoid wearing except when necessary, store separately in closed containers and file an exposure report when used. Massachusetts just passed a state wide ban and so pressure from more states is what will get the materials changed hopefully in just a few years. There's a huge amount of change already happening but it comes down to pressure from firefighters everywhere. Please share this with folks around you to do that. We will follow up on this story when alternatives are widely available.

And what's disturbing is that after being retired for over 10 years I find out about this on KZbin and not through my Local?? Thanks for your efforts!!

@@BWT1279 very sorry. We did work with the IAFF to get this out to many different locals in the past year but ultimately decided to release it here directly to reach as many firefighters as possible. It was a challenging balance because this was an expensive documentary to produce but ultimately our priority was helping people as much as possible so here we are.

@@aprilsmith3683 what about the chemical manufacturers who put the toxic materials in the gear? 🤔

@@jsuperman7672 thank you for your service and yes, newer generations will be safer if by addressing this head on

@@keithritter6157 it's a complex mix of feelings for sure. The important thing is making sure that this knowledge spreads so the problem can be solved and all firefighters can keep a proactive eye on their health due to this exposure. Thank you for your service and really sorry this happened

@@raymondcarl1804 thank you for your service and please let us know how we can help. Regular screening & proactive medical care can catch problems before they are hard to deal with. You are not alone

@ethereal_films thanks for the reply. I'm having regular check ups and have already dealt with skin cancer

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s , we were told “it’s as safe as baby shampoo” in the fire academy. Fortunately, I never worked in the airport crash unit, but we still have exposure with the increased use of AFFF…. With lithium ion battery fires, AFFF is now making a resurgence. There are very few resources at our disposal to suppress thermal runaway fires in EV’s and other battery use. Great video. God Bless these GREAT PEOPLE !!

@@WellthManagement thanks so much for your kind words, if means so much. We have been working on a comprehensive story about the broader issue of forever chemicals which we are releasing very soon! Because yes, this is an everyone issue and we are excited to share real solutions to fix the problem.

@@goglolee he's been a great ally in this effort

As a firefighter/EMT of 30+ years now, someone who began as a volunteer for my community at 16 and worked as a career firefighter…. THANK YOU ❤! I have A.S. (Ankylosing Spondylitis), an autoimmune disease that has fused most of my spine and joints. My doctors always ask “what chemicals have you been exposed with?”. Of course, I’ll never know, but ANYTHING that potentially harms the public safety field = Needs to be BANNED!

@@stephanedesroches8378 thank you Stephane. We tried to set several closed captions so this message can spread to firefighters across the world.

@@michaelsullivan1262 hope you are healthy, thank you for your service. Please consider sharing with active FFs.

@@Blrtech77 it's a tough situation but there's a lot of movement happening now to fix things. Spreading the word is what will change this. Thanks for your service

@@ethereal_films You're very welcome and I'll do my part to help spread the word. In all my years I wouldn't believe the gear that was meant to protect is almost the biggest killer of my brothers and sisters!

@@vigiledelfuoco1 thanks for helping us get the word out to fix this major problem that has lasted far too long, Riccardo.

We are honored to take part in changing this.

A lot of movement is working to change that (lawsuits, industry changes, etc) but yes, we must demand it!

Thank you for all of your help spreading this across Poland.

That provider was unwilling to learn the proper method from Dr. Fedorchuk so unfortunately yes that is currently the only clinic capable of treating major spondy. You will most likely need to visit his practice in person to have an assessment under DMX which is a video x-ray that they can use while attempting partial reversal of your slip.

@@ethereal_films Did you visit Dr. Fedorchuk before committing to the 1 week of treatment? I am in the process of sending all my images over to his practice, but I am curious if that's enough information for them to evaluate if I'll be a good candidate.

@@Remnazuo Yes! When I'm finished I'll tell the whole story in a film but I initially had a one day consult because I wanted to know if I could avoid surgery. He was really skeptical for me because my disc is so degenerated but we saw a lot of pliability in the soft-tissues that day and there was a lot of happy crying. From what he's explained in reviewing a few hundred patients, I think static images will be limited in your evaluation versus actually visiting. In my opinion, it's completely worth it because the alternatives are just to live with pain/symptoms or probably get spinal fusion which is terrible.

​@@ethereal_films Thanks for the guidance with this. I got some images sent over to Dr. Fedorchuk and I am having a phone consultation today. Your videos have been really helpful. I am a little annoyed at how buried they are in the search algorithm. I only found them by searching for Dr. Fedorchuk, and they don't show up when you search for spondylolithesis. Otherwise I probably would have reached out him months ago. It sounds like shockwave therapy should be part of my recovery if I can get some correction with the spondy treatment. Thankfully that is easier to find locally. Anyway, I appreciate your personal documentation of your experiences, and I'm looking forward to your documentary!

@@ethereal_filmsHave you recovered now ?

Will post a new update soon. We have been on pause as we refine the home-use table which I will be the first to use. More importantly I have been working to restore my disc and officially have done so according to MRI imaging last month which is a first in medical history. I am continuing my treatment to further regenerate the disc in hopes of getting it back to a normal size/shape before finishing the treatment for spondy specifically. I have not had any spondy pain/symptoms for the past 2 months.

Progress has been extremely good in the past few months - will do a new update very soon

90% this is a focused device but from all I have read I would encourage a clinic that uses medical grade devices vs what is consumer approved.

We are working on it!

It will publicly release later this year!

Thanks!!