Long-term health risks for Montreal firefighters a growing concern

Firefighters battle a fire in Old Montreal on Friday, Oct.4, 2024. A new report suggests there are long-term health risks for the first responders. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

A new report shows that Montreal firefighters are busier than ever, and that, despite efforts to make it safer, the work comes with long-term health risks.

“It’s killing us,” said Montreal Firefighters Association president Chris Ross. “You could take every other single fire department in Quebec, add the number of calls together, and you will get nowhere close to the number of incidents that Montreal firefighters go to.”

A new report shows that firefighters responded to more than 140,000 incidents last year. Six in 10 calls now involve firefighters acting as first responders on medical emergencies.

The report attributes the increase in part to an aging population, chronic illness and a year of extreme weather events.

It also highlights new measures to reduce exposure to toxic contaminants through improved cleaning of protective gear.

Ross welcomes the progress, but he says the city moves too slowly.

“It’s been required since 2020,” he said. “What changed for our firefighters only came January 27th, 2025, and it’s because we complained to the CNESST that it was taking too long, and there was an intervention on the CNESST’s part.”

While the City of Montreal did not provide CTV News with a comment on Saturday, Ross points to a heavy health toll.

More than 350 work-related cancers have been recognized among Montreal firefighters over the past 15 years.

More than 100 firefighters have died.

International Association of Firefighters chief medical officer Dr. Danny Whu says exposure risks follow firefighters throughout their careers.

“We’re faced with occupational carcinogens in all of those environments, whether routine or emergent, at the firehouse or at the fire ground or at the fire lines,” said Whu.

He notes even new protective gear contains fire-retardant chemicals known to be carcinogenic, and he says modern building materials also add risks.

“There is a lot of synthetic materials - and fires burn hotter, they burn faster, and they burn more toxic than ever before,” said Whu.

Exposure is only part of the problem.

Quebec recognizes fewer occupational cancers than provinces such as B.C., meaning the true toll may be even higher than official figures suggest.

“We need to work on prevention,” said Ross. “We need to work on screening, and we need to work on better recognition.”