Mates death leads to cancer cluster probe
The best mate of a firefighter who died after working at the Success fire station says a recent fourth kidney cancer diagnosis at the station convinced him his workplace needed to be investigated.
Cian Evans and Rob Reed worked together at the Hammond Road station for nine years until Mr Reed died in October 2009, 10 months after he was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
The station was temporarily closed on Monday because of fears that it could be a cancer cluster site.
Four firefighters who worked there were diagnosed with kidney cancer within six years. Mr Reed was the first to be diagnosed.
The United Firefighters Union of WA yesterday raised concerns about a Water Corporation water treatment plant near the fire station and called for an investigation into whether it could have caused the cancers.
Mr Evans, who still worked at the Success station until this week when its firefighters were moved to the Hope Valley station as a precaution, said he was relieved that they had been relocated.
He said he and his colleagues did not want to work again at the Success station, which opened in 2000, until they got answers.
"From a statistical point of view, it just seems too high and without testing all the guys in the fire service, it appears it is currently isolated to Success fire station," Mr Evans said.
"That is the basis of our fear at the station - that prompted us to request to be relocated."
Mr Evans said Mr Reed had his kidney removed and went back to work but secondary cancer later killed him.
"He was my best mate," he said. "We were thick as thieves and it was just a shock, there was no thought that it was something that would continue on.
"I guess I got on with life but there was another diagnosis not long after that. We certainly raised concerns at that point with the medicos, saying the time frame was pretty tight.
"They settled us down and allayed those fears by saying it was just a coincidence but subsequently this year we've had one in May and another just last week confirmed as kidney cancer."
A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said extensive testing by an independent contractor at the Success station to determine whether there were any possible exposures, including water or soil, would start this week.
UFU WA secretary Kevin Jolly said the Jandakot water treatment plant was of concern and needed to be analysed vigorously but other possible causes included the soil in the area.
A Water Corporation spokeswoman said the fire station received water from the integrated water supply scheme - not directly from the Jandakot treatment plant - and water-quality testing was carried out both within the plant and the scheme.
She said the fire station was not within the plant's 200m buffer zone.
