When Firefighter Heroes Need Help

We all know the dangers firefighters face, but did you know that they also have a markedly higher risk of developing cancer? According to one source, their risk is up to 100% higher than that of the general population. I learned this stunning fact when researching ONE FINE FIREMAN. Around the same time, I also met Fire Chief Joe Nestor of the real San Gabriel fire department and learned that he is a cancer survivor and dedicated member of a group called the Firefighters Cancer Support Network, a peer support network for firefighters and their families. As a gesture of support for the firefighting community – and in gratitude for all the charity work they do -- I intend to donate a portion of my royalties from every copy of ONE FINE FIREMAN, for the lifetime of the book, to the network.

So what's the group all about? Chief Nestor was gracious enough to answer some questions. 

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to talk about this wonderful organization. My first question would be, why are firefighters at such high risk of developing cancer?

Firefighters are exposed to many cancer causing materials because of the nature of the job.  They are exposed to smoke and the products of combustion, along with hazardous chemicals that have spilled or been improperly mixed. Cancer can take years or decades to develop after just one exposure.  When I started in the fire service more than 40 years ago, breathing apparatus was not worn at all times during the fire, and almost never after the fire was out, when exposure can be at its worst.  Picture the World Trade Center, when firefighters were working around the smoking rubble without breathing apparatus.  That type of smoke can be the most toxic.  Over the years personal protective equipment (PPE) have improved, and firefighters have gotten much better at always wearing their breathing apparatus (masks).  As firefighters get better at wearing breathing apparatus at all times when in a smoky or chemical environment, we should see incidents of cancer go down. 

Do firefighters have any particular challenges when facing cancer? For instance, I would wonder if it’s difficult to ask for help when you’re used to relying on your physical strength and skill. Is that the case, or are there other challenges?

As you know, firefighters take pride in being strong, in body, mind, and soul.  You like to think that you are above getting cancer. It is very difficult for some firefighters to accept that they are not invincible.  Firefighters are used to taking care of people, not being taken care of.  It can be very difficult and isolating when a firefighter gets diagnosed with cancer.  The other challenge is getting back to the job of firefighting.  The number 1 goal is to get well, and number 2 is to get back to work.  I haven’t talked to a firefighter yet that didn’t want those 2 things.  And getting back to work is so important, because we want to leave the job on our terms not on cancer’s terms.  There are times when someone just can’t come back, where getting well has to be enough.  We let those folks know that they are still part of the family, and will always have our support.

What was the original inspiration for the founding of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network

The Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) was founded by Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedic Mike Dubron in 2005.  He was given a very poor prognosis when he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, however, he survived and his prognosis was changed to very good.  After his recovery, he realized that there was nowhere for a firefighter to turn, other than traditional organizations, when they are diagnosed with cancer.  As he puts it, no one knows firefighters like firefighters.  He also found that firefighters were much more prone to having cancer in their lifetime than the general population.  He founded the Firefighter Cancer Support Network to provide comfort, strength, and hope through our own experiences as firefighters in dealing with the devastating effects of cancer.

Does the special bond firefighters develop in the firehouse help them when they’re diagnosed with cancer?

Yes, that is the cornerstone of the organization.  When a firefighter is first diagnosed, we encourage them to contact FCSN.  Either that day or the next day, a large box is delivered to them.  The box has resource materials to help them and their families get educated about cancer.  We also get them connected to a “mentor”.  A mentor is another firefighter that has also been diagnosed with their type of cancer, or a closely related cancer.  The mentor initially provides comfort and connection, which is so important in those first few days.  The mentor also can help get them to appointments and be present for doctors meetings to help ask questions and take notes.  Each person is unique.  Some firefighters get a cancer diagnosis, and don’t mind telling everyone.  Some really want their privacy.  It is up to the mentor to respect the wishes of the individual.  A mentor is there to provide comfort and support, not to take over someone’s treatment and approach to their cancer diagnosis.

The dream of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network would be for it to become as relevant as the Breast Cancer Awareness effort has become.  I am amazed at what the folks involved in Breast Cancer Awareness have done.  I know that when a woman, or a man, are diagnosed with breast cancer, they know that they do not have to feel isolated, that there are people and organizations there for them.  They know that all they have to do is reach out and someone will be there.  That is what I want to see for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.

You also work with family members of firefighters. What’s the most important thing people can do to support a loved one with cancer?

First and foremost to provide comfort and support.  Second, this is a battle.  When you hear that someone is “battling cancer”, that is exactly what they need to do.  They are in a fight for their lives.  You need to be up for the challenge, and help them in the battle.  You are one of their soldiers!  Get into the fight with them.  Do research.  Take them to appointments.  Be a second set of ears in the doctor’s office.  Don’t let them get isolated.  Challenge them to fight harder if they need to.  Help them to feel as normal as possible.  Never give up hope.  If they are firefighters, or part of a firefighter family, encourage them to contact the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.   

As a cancer survivor yourself, what would you say to someone facing a cancer diagnosis? What have you learned from the experience of fighting cancer?

First, I would tell them that I am an 11 year survivor.  Cancer is not a death sentence.  Next, you are still the same person.  Cancer does not define you, it is just a small part of you.  I would tell them their life is going to be different, and not necessarily for the worse.  I believe I am a better person because I have battled cancer.  For me, and this is not for everyone, I would have talked about it more.  It was just kind of my wife and I initially from 2001-2005.  In 2005 when I got involved with the Network, I talked about it to anyone that wanted to listen.  That really helped me.

My story is a little different.  When I was diagnosed in November 2001 with Bladder Cancer, I went in for surgery 2 days later.  In 3 weeks I was back at work as a Battalion Chief.  At the time I was with Pasadena Fire.  I was also at the beginning stages of competing for the Fire Chief job in San Gabriel.  I had my second surgery in February 2002, and also started chemo.  I only took 4 days off for that one.  I told my doctor at the time that I was competing for a Fire Chief’s job, and asked him if I should continue to pursue that.  This is where having the right doctors and people around you is so important.  He said, “What do you want to do?  Do what you want to do.  Don’t worry.  Life is too short to worry.  Do what you want, you are going to be fine.  We are going to take good care of you.”  So I continued with the process and became the Fire Chief for the City of San Gabriel.  I was cancer free until 2005, when it came back in a mild form.  One more surgery, and this time chemo with Interferon.  Cancer free ever since, 7 years and counting.   

That’s great news! Is there anything patients who are not connected with the firefighting community can learn from how your organization works? 

Yes, go to the website.  It has information and videos explaining how the Network works.  If you want to read about a firefighter’s experience, go to testimonials.  They will talk about their experience with their particular type of cancer.  At the end of each testimonial is an e-mail for the individual.  Send that individual an e-mail, and I know you will hear back.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the network?

The biggest challenge for us is getting the word out.  Most firefighters don’t even know that the Network exists, and is available to them.  Many times I go to funerals for firefighters, where the firefighter has died of cancer.  If I wasn’t aware of their cancer, I always wonder what their last few weeks and months were like.  Did they get everything that they needed?  Did they have people to talk to?  Did they get all the treatment they needed?  Did they get to the right doctors?  How about the families, are they getting everything they need (I will always ask)?

Firefighters are amazing, they will rally around the firefighter with cancer every time.  But many times it is just the department that the firefighter, or his/her family member, is part of.  My hope is that in the future, when a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer, one of the first calls will be to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.  

Chief Nestor, thank you so much for sharing your story, thoughts and inspiration.

If you’d like to know more about the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, click here. 

ONE FINE FIREMAN will be out on November 13. Click the "Books" page for more.

Adventures in Meditating

 If I have a superpower, it’s the ability to make anything more complicated that it needs to be. (Which, if you have a choice, is not one of the better superpowers.) Take meditating. It sounds simple enough, right? Basically, you sit. You can try to clear your mind, or focus on your breathing, or visualize something, but the essence is simply to stay in one place and … well, be. 

Yeah. Easier said than done. My friend Daisy and I have both had an ongoing interest in meditation, though actually doing it is another matter. Recently we got together at a café and had the brilliant idea to give it a shot, right there in the park across the street. We found ourselves a sunlit bench and settled in.

Simple, right? Of course not! First, we decided we needed an app for our meditation session. We both hauled out our iPhones and began scrolling through the app store looking for free meditation apps. Something with a timer, or maybe a bell to start us off. We spent the next fifteen minutes searching instead of meditating, which of course struck us as hilarious.

So, because of the times we’re living in, I had to Tweet about that. And post about it on Facebook. Because really, has anything actually happened unless you’ve talked about it on social media? Maybe, but why risk it?

While I Tweeted and FB’ed, Daisy selected and downloaded an app. But then she started reading the small print. The app wanted us to set “meditation goals” by which we could judge our progress. Daily sessions, length of sessions, it all had to be logged in before we could start our meditation. As Daisy put it, “I don’t need an app to make me feel guilty. I can do that by myself.” Besides, isn’t the whole point of meditation to just “be,” not to be goal-oriented?  

But what do we know? Since we were running out of time, we ditched the app, set the timer, and soaked in the sunshine in silence for the next fifteen minutes. You might say that was meditation, and hopefully it was close.

Except I spent much of that time wondering if I could turn the whole experience into a blog post.

Clearly, I need to work on this being/meditating/simplifying concept a little more.  

Have you ever tried meditating? Any recommendations you can share?

Firefighters in Pink

So here we are in October, breast cancer awareness month, and I keep seeing photos like these:

Firefighters around the country are showing their support for the fight against breast cancer by donning the unmanly color pink. Some communities are even going so far as to turn their fire engines pink -- at least temporarily.

Dare I say, that pumper is adorable? I find something so endearing about this mass adoption of the cause, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. What is it that's so touching about firemen in pink? Is it that such a macho profession is standing up against a disease that primarily strikes women? Firefighters are touched by breast cancer, of course, though other cancers are more prevalent on the force. I like to think they're choosing to go pink to support the women in their lives -- mothers, sisters, grandmothers, daughters, female firefighters.

Firehouses know how to band together, whether it's to fight a fire or to make a statement to the world. A hunky fireman wearing pink is going to draw attention, which means media coverage, which means greater awareness. And just in case they're worried about this, the color pink doesn't take away from their manly appeal. Quite the opposite, in fact. A fireman donning his gear is just as droolworthy in a pink t-shirt.

Does it make a difference to those battling breast cancer? I can't imagine that it doesn't help to know all those brave men and women have your back.

A firefighter in Victoria, Texas, hugs his mother, a breast cancer sufferer.

So here's a big thank you to the firefighters around the country who are standing tall, rocking the pink, raising money and spreading awareness of breast cancer. I think I fell just a little bit more in love with these guys!

Have you seen other instances of your local fire department going pink this month? I'd love to hear about it!

Jennifer

Firefighting Gone Wild

After having written three books and a novella about firefighters, I finally feel comfortable writing about structure fires and life at the firehouse. Not so comfortable that I don't consult with a professional, of course. I've mentioned my "fire guru" before (thank you, Rick!!)

But now, for my next fireman book, I'm off on a whole new tangent -- wildfires.  

Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado

One of the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel is about to volunteer to help battle a massive wildfire threatening his hometown in Nevada. And that means I have to learn about a whole new kind of firefighting. I've seen so many news stories about forest fires, wilderness fires, brushfires -- you probably have too. It was a particularly brutal summer in Colorado, Utah and Arizona. You may even have had a close call with one. When I lived in LA, brushfire season brought some scary times. I remember ash particles coating my car, apocalyptic skies, twenty-four hour news coverage.

Battling the Trinity Ridge Fire in Boise National Forest

In recent years, wildfires have gotten bigger and more dangerous. One firefighter told me that fires are behaving in new ways -- the rate of spread isn't predictable anymore. Hotter temperatures and drier hillsides mean that fires will simply leap over the firefighters to the next hill. I'm learning about smoke-jumpers, hotshot crews, pilots and heli-rapellers. Wildland firefighting is fascinating, dangerous, and a source of endless storylines. But boy, do I have a lot to learn! These days, I'm all about the research.

Have you had a close encounter with a wildfire? I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great week -

Jennifer

Cover Reveal - SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN

I've been waiting for this moment for a LONG time. Avon sent me this cover sometime over the summer. I went crazy over it and wanted to share it with the world. But I had to wait until the cover flats were out. Well, now they're out. I don't have to wait another minute to unveil this gorgeous cover.

In my opinion, the Avon art department is just amazing. I've been so happy with all the covers, but this one is extra-special. I love their expressions. Can't you just feel the heat and tenderness between them? (Maybe it's just me.)

Here's the cover copy for SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN, which is Book 3 in the Bachelor Firemen series and comes out on January 29, 2013. The series does not need to be read in order.

There’s a hardnosed new training officer in town, and that’s bad news for the BACHELOR FIREMEN OF SAN GABRIEL … but great news for firefighter Sabina Jones … maybe.

The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman, has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the “Bachelor Firemen” media hype. But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it’s going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay.

But there’s even more Sabina isn’t telling him. Before dedicating herself to battling blazes, Sabina led a very different life, one that made her famous. The last thing she wants is to have her secret exposed. The papers, bloggers and TV gossips will have a field day with that—especially when they sense the obvious sexual heat beween Sabina and Chief Roman, who’s torn between firing her … and falling in love with her!

One last thing: if you'd like a signed cover flat, leave me a comment and email me your address at JenniferBernard.author@gmail.com.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

ONE FINE FIREMAN Cover Reveal

It's been a crazy summer and I'm behind on everything. (Sorry!) But I have lots of news to share, starting with this luscious cover for ONE FINE FIREMAN.

 

ONE FINE FIREMAN is an e-novella that will release on November 13 from Avon Impulse. It's a prequel to the Bachelor Fireman series. Here's the back cover copy to give you a taste of the story. 

Kirk, aka Thor, one of San Gabriel’s infamous Bachelor Firemen, certainly lives up to his nickname. He’s tall, handsome, and has a chiseled body worthy of any Viking god. But he’d give it all up for one glance from her.

Sweet, shy Maribel has no idea he’s been pining for her. There’s nothing he’d like better than to sweep her off her feet and show her just how exquisite their love could be. But Kirk has a secret and he won’t let anyone get close, least of all the sexiest woman he’s ever met.

Can a feisty little dog and an even feistier little boy help these star-crossed lovers to find the true love they both so richly deserve?

This novella not only tells Thor's story, but Stan the Dog's. For those who've read the books, you know the firehouse dog is a beleaguered beagle. This book explains how he wound up at San Gabriel's Station 1.

In other news, HOT FOR FIREMAN will be a Cosmo Magazine Red Hot Read for October! As soon as the issue is available, I'll let everyone in the world know. ;-) 

And finally, I've started my newsletter and FB giveaways with a bang. The first gift pack is going out this week and it's got some really cool goodies in it. So don't forget to either sign up for my mailing list or "like" me on Facebook.

I hope you enjoy the last days of summer and the first days of the new school year!

 

Summer Postcard from Homer

Time for a postcard from beautiful Homer, Alaska, otherwise known as the "quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem." It's finally starting to warm up here and we've been inundated with RV's trundling through town. Homer is known as the "End of the Road," because, well, you can probably figure it out. Only one highway heads south from Anchorage -- we call it Highway 1 -- and it runs out of pavement when it gets to Homer. Tourists come for the halibut fishing, the stunning views of glaciers right across Kachemak Bay, and for glimpses of the Time Bandit, which you may know from The Deadliest Catch.

Many of the RV's wind up on the Homer Spit, a long finger of mud that stretches toward the majestic mountains across the bay. Here you can park your traveling home, camp, eat everything from pizza to king crab, and bask in the alpenglow. The Spit is kind of like the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Alaska style. Instead of fried clams, we have fried halibut. The Salty Dawg Saloon tends to be more popular than the ice cream shop, simply because there's often a knife-cold wind blowing in from the ocean. The "Better Sweater" shop is always busy. It's hard to foresee just how cold it's going to be when you're visiting from Nashville or Florida. A cruise ship docks in Homer every two weeks, spilling out passengers who hop onto shuttles when they want to venture into the rest of town. Homer goes out of its way to offer visitors a good experience. Even the extra-clean public bathrooms feature bald eagles scenically perched on the lampposts outside.

But just for you, here's a sight-seeing tip few tourists know: the best eagle viewing in town is at the dump. Best in terms of numbers, but maybe not photo ops. The same bird that looks so majestic soaring through the air can look pretty scraggly when its scoping out the landfill for food scraps. Our visiting cousins seemed to take this phenomenon very personally. Should the symbol of America really be poking around the dump competing with seagulls and crows? I guess a bird's got to do what a bird's got to do. In Alaska, no matter the season, it's all about survival.

Scavenger eagles aside, if you're looking from a respite from the sweltering heat in the rest of the country, you're welcome to bundle up, head into the wind, and bask in our twenty-hour a day, mildly warm sunshine. The days may not get very hot, but at least they last a long time. And make sure you stop by the dump on the way into town!

Have you been to Alaska? If not, is it on your bucket list?

Coming at you from the land of the midnight sun,

Jennifer