Florida CFO announces $1.4M in funds to protect firefighters from cancer-causing materials

CFO Ingoglia awards $1.4M to firefighters

Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia announced more than one million dollars in grant money for firefighters while in Bradenton on Thursday.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Florida’s State Fire Marshal and Chief Financial Officer, Blaise Ingoglia, awarded $1.4M in grant money to help protect firefighters from dangerous cancer-causing materials.

Ingoglia made the announcement while speaking in Bradenton on Thursday afternoon.

What we know:

The $1.4M in funds are available through the Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Grant Program, the Firefighter Assistance grant program and projects that were appropriated during the 2025/2026 fiscal year budget.

Ingoglia said that firefighters have an increased chance of being diagnosed with a specific type of cancer.

What they're saying:

"Fighting fires today is much different than fighting fires 30 or 40 years ago," Ingoglia said. "Forty years ago, firefighters going into a burning building- it was likely made of wood and concrete. Today, it is much different. When they are going into a structure, they don’t know what is in that structure, but most of the time, what is in that building is chemicals, plastics, and as they are burning, they create carcinogens they are breathing in. They are ingesting, they are being absorbed through their skin and that’s why we are seeing firefighters with higher rates of certain types of cancer."

It’s not just the firefighters. Ingoglia said when they go home, they are bringing those carcinogens into their homes and exposing their families and the money from these grants can go toward items to help firefighters decontaminate after fighting a fire. 

"Our first responders in our communities are our hometown heroes," Ingoglia stated. "They are the backbone of their communities."

"Florida is fortunate to have the very best firefighters in the nation right here in our backyard," he added. "They respond quickly and efficiently to any and all emergency situations. Our first responders, firefighters and police, see some of the worst in our communities."

Dig deeper:

Ingoglia added that PTSD among first responders is real, and they are often going through silent battles due to the nature of their jobs. 

"Our first responders have a tough time with recovery," Ingoglia said.

What's next:

Ingoglia said when it came to firefighters being diagnosed with cancer, it started with awareness to let people know what was going on. Then, it went to treatment and now it is moving on to prevention, which is why the state is doing the decontamination grants. 

He said the same thing needs to happen with the mental health aspect. 

Ingoglia said they started to make people aware and are now in the treatment phase by getting first responders the help that they need, but he wants to get to prevention. 

"Even if one firefighter, deputy, police officer winds up committing suicide because they don’t think they can take it anymore, that is one too many and we should do everything we can to try and prevent it," Ingoglia stated. "Everything we did for cancer - presumption and prevention; we’re doing the same thing right now with the mental health aspect."