I was like many of you. I had heard on the news or had read in one of the trade journals, that firefighters had been diagnosed with cancer. It often pointed to FDNY and these were firefighters who had worked, so determinedly, on the Pile left after the collapse of the WTC on 9|11. However, as I was about to learn, this was just the tip of the iceberg, as they say.

This “Out-of-the-Vault” episode of “5-Alarm Task Force,” takes us back to March 2017. My guest was Bill Banks, a former battalion chief with FT. Lauderdale Fire Dept. And he gave me, as well as thousands of listeners, a real education in how the fire service was being decimated by cancer.  And no, it wasn’t affecting just those who worked on the Pile. It included firefighters from FDNY, Boston, Los Angeles County, Miami-Dade County and so many more.

This podcast still ranks as the second highest episode listened to and the podcast with the most downloads in our history. Why? Listen to what Bill has to say and you’ll get a hint!