Man brings awareness to link between firefighting and cancer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The son of a firefighter created an organization to bring awareness to the connection between firefighting and cancer.

It's been five years since James Robinson lost his father, Tom, to cancer.

Robinson’s father wanted his story to be heard.

"He went to the doctor and said, 'I got this thing on my foot. I think I stepped on a rock,'" James told Channel 9.

That would eventually become a stage four melanoma diagnosis. Tom ignored it for a year, but it grew and eventually spread.

"Losing my father was something that changed my life forever," said James.

Robinson’s father was a volunteer firefighter in New York and North Carolina for 40 years.

"With all these carcinogens that have absorbed into their body or off their sweat or off their gear, and gravity naturally takes it down,” Robinson said. “And the boots are waterproof, so if they don't let water in, they sure as heck don't let water out."

Robinson is an Atrium Health employee and firefighter himself. He shared his father's story with colleagues.

That was when Code T.O.M. was born. "Taking on Melanoma" is a tribute to his father and is a program that educates firefighters across the Carolinas about the dangers of the job and how to protect themselves.

Cancer is now the leading cause of death among firefighters, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In 2016, union officials believe cancer caused 70 percent of in-the-line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters, and in February, the group held a cancer summit in Florida focusing solely on the problem.

"If we just let this go, it's a death sentence," Robinson said.

Cox Media Group