NORWOOD, Mass. — Joanie Cullinan may no longer serve as a firefighter, but she's made it her mission to help prolong the careers of other first responders and potentially save lives. 

At 37, Cullinan was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma, which was discovered during a free skin check at a convention with the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. She went through a year of targeted treatment, chemotherapy and surgery to remove a tumor and lymph nodes. 

"I think it's eye-opening when you have a younger firefighter diagnosed with cancer, and that's one of the craziest things about cancer in the fire service. We're getting diagnosed at such a younger age than civilians," Cullinan said. 

Cullinan, who worked for the Wellesley Fire Department, set goals to get back to work, but unfortunately the neuropathy in her feet never left and she was forced to put in her retirement papers under the cancer presumption law.

According to DetecTogether, an organization Cullinan has worked with to help raise cancer awareness, firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general population. 

While there are many occupational hazards which could contribute to firefighters' increased risk of getting cancer, one that's sparked discussion in recent years is the toxic PFAS chemicals found in their turnout gear. 

PFAS have been linked to serious health problems.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, known risks include several cancers, decreased fertility, developmental delays in children and a decrease in the efficacy of vaccines. 

"You're supposed to wash your gear before you use it because apparently it strips a lot of the chemicals. I was never told that by a manufacturer or anyone else," Cullinan said. "I'd say in the last five years, it's really taken a lead front on the concerns of firefighters, but guys are dying all the time and getting cancer at younger ages. This is really stuff we've got to pay attention to."

Cullinan first learned about PFAS chemicals from Diane Cotter, the wife of former Worcester firefighter Paul Cotter, who has spent years sounding the alarm about their alleged presence in turnout gear.

Through her advocacy work and the efforts of former firefighters like Cullinan, progress appears to be on the horizon with the Massachusetts Legislature poised to pass a bill that would ban the manufacturing, distribution and sale of turnout gear containing PFAS by 2027. 

"The progress we've made to protect firefighters from cancer is amazing, but this fight is not over," Cullinan said. "When this bill gets passed, this is just the beginning. We need to protect our firefighters so they can protect you."

State Sen. Michael Moore, D-Worcester, has been vocal in his support for measures to ban PFAS in turnout gear, and credited the efforts of people like Cullinan and Cotter in keeping the issue in the spotlight and communicating a sense of urgency. 

"We're expecting them to respond and take care of us in times of emergency or a traumatic event. We shouldn't be providing them with material that's only going to make them sick," Moore said. "So I'll be happy when it's finally signed by the governor."

Going forward, Moore hopes to build on the momentum and make it easier for firefighters who have been using PFAS contaminated gear to get routine cancer screenings, among other efforts. 

Meanwhile Cullinan said she will continue to use her voice to raise awareness of cancer in the fire service, or as she put it, "pounding the pavement and speaking to anyone who wants to talk about it."

"We go to work and never know what we're going to face," Cullinan said. "It could be the worst day of your life or an easy day. We don't need our turnout gear to give us cancer, and this is serious stuff. I hope that new guys listen and old guys teach. That's what the fire service is all about." 

The legislation is likely to appear on Gov. Maura Healey's desk next week after lawmakers worked into the early morning hours Thursday as this session drew to a close. If passed, the ban on PFAS chemicals in turnout gear would go active on Jan. 1, 2027.