News and Press Releases

From left: Draper Fire Chief Clint Smith, Utah Fire and Rescue Academy Director Bradley Wardle, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Lehi Fire Chief Jeremy Craft, and Utah State Rep. Casey Snider participate in a ceremonial "hose-cutting" on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, to mark the opening of the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative's Utah Firefighter Health & Wellness Center. Smith, Wardle, and Craft are among the leadership of the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative, while Snider sponsored the bill that is funding the initiative's cancer screening program, which is the most comprehensive program of its kind in the nation. 

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah’s trailblazing push to shield firefighters from the No. 1 line-of-duty threat they face is officially underway. 

The Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative (UFCI) on Wednesday held a “hose-cutting” ceremony at RMCOEH celebrating the opening of the Utah Firefighter Health & Wellness Center, where the initiative recently launched the most comprehensive firefighter cancer screening program in the nation with the support of the Utah Legislature.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson was among many prominent attendees who gathered at RMCOEH to mark the milestone. Addressing the crowd, she said the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative represents a significant step forward in protecting people who devote their lives to protecting others.

“This is incredible,” she said “... Firefighters can come and get screened. They can get some peace of mind. And, unfortunately, far too often they might get some news that they don’t want to hear. But hopefully they can hear it early enough to be able to do something about it before it becomes a serious problem. That is the hope here with this facility, and I’m very grateful to everybody who’s helped put this together. I’m especially grateful for our firefighters who put themselves between us and harm’s way every single day.”

Cancer causes roughly two-thirds of deaths in the line of duty within the fire service, and firefighters are more likely to develop the disease than the general population. Some of the most prominent firefighting organizations in the state, as well as an international leader in protecting workers from job hazards, formed the initiative to address the problem. UFCI is a partnership among RMCOEH, Utah Valley University’s Utah Fire and Rescue Academy, the Utah State Fire Chiefs Association, and the Professional Firefighters of Utah.

UFCI will screen more than 500 firefighters a year at the Utah Firefighter Health & Wellness Center, which is located at RMCOEH's headquarters, prioritizing those who are at highest risk of cancer. The initiative conducted its first screenings in September, months after the Utah Legislature passed legislation, H.B. 65, providing the funding to launch the screening program.

The screening program aims to save lives by identifying cancer early — in some cases years before symptoms would have appeared — to give firefighters the best possible prognosis. While many cancers are treatable when discovered early, late-stage survival rates are grim for some cancers that firefighters may develop, such as renal and brain cancer. 

In addition to the cancer screenings, UFCI includes a research program exploring the link between firefighting and cancer to equip departments, policymakers, medical professionals, and firefighters with the information they need to reduce risks. The initiative is also dedicated to education, advocacy and supporting firefighters battling the disease.

Bradley Wardle, chair of the initiative and senior director of the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy, said the combination of those elements makes the initiative, and by extension Utah, a national leader in confronting the problem.

Photos: Charles Schuknecht/RMCOEH, Natalie Grover/Utah Valley University

“The reality is that firefighters make tremendous sacrifices to protect their communities,” he said. “It is imperative that we, in turn, do everything in our power to protect them from cancer. The Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative is enormously grateful for the opportunity to do that, and we recognize that we only have that opportunity because of the support of many, many people who believe in this cause.”

Rep. Casey Snider (R-Paradise) sponsored H.B. 65, which also significantly expanded the list of cancers considered “presumptive” in firefighters. A volunteer firefighter himself, he said during the ceremony that it took a collective effort within the fire service to pass the legislation, adding that the effort was inspired by firefighters who have succumbed to cancer, those currently serving, and young people who will one day don firefighter turnouts in service of their communities.

“The service that you perform every day is more meaningful than what we do on Capitol Hill,” he said, addressing the firefighters in the audience. “You help people on the worst day of their life, and you make a difference. … This has been the honor of my lifetime to work on a bill that I know is going to help people and truly make a difference.”