The Watertown Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of there own to an occupational cancer at the age of 38. A funeral will be held on Aug. 28.
Firefighter Matthew Callahan died on Aug. 20 from a type of cancer that has been identified as one that occurs more often in firefighters. He had been a member of the Watertown Fire Department since October 22, 2017, but made a big impact on the Fire Department, said Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson.
“He was really instrumental in shaping, kind of helping to shape our paramedic program. He is one the first paramedics we hired, and so he was really an asset to the Department in that way,” Nicholson said. “He was really just a kind, kind, gentleman, you know. He’s the type of happy-go-lucky type guy that always with a smile on his face, and that’s how we’ll remember him here. He was a really, really nice guy who would do anything to help — help anyone out.”
Callahan was diagnosed with colon cancer in April, Nicholson said, and it had spread to his liver and lungs. He had Chemotherapy and underwent surgery to remove the cancer, recently.
“Following that surgery he never really bounced back the way that doctors were hoping for,” Nicholson said.
The cancer was considered an occupational one because it is one of the types more common among firefighters, and Callahan had been a firefighter for more than five years, Nicholson said. According to the state’s information about workplace cancer in the fire service, the rate of colon cancer is 1.21 times higher for firefighters than the general population.
The Watertown Fire Department has been taking steps to try to decrease the chances of cancer for firefighters, but they face more risk than past generations.
“They used to make furniture out of wood, and houses out of wood, and that was it. Now everything is plastic and foam, and so the newer fires that we see now are exposing us to stuff that, they call them legacy fires, never did. So that’s part of the issue,” Nicholson said. “Another part of it is they are finding that PFAS is in the equipment that we wear on our backs. So, the turnout gear that we have contains forever chemicals that when we’re working and sweating and our pores are open and we’re getting exposed to it from our gear itself.”
Under former Fire Chief Bob Quinn, the Watertown Fire Department took strides to reduce the risk, such as buying a second set of turnout gear for firefighters, and having special washing machines in the fire stations that extract the toxins when they clean the gear.
The Fire Department is also looking for new gear that does not contain the dangerous chemicals.
“There’s new laws now that they need to create gear that doesn’t have these chemicals in it. But there’s a whole timeline for that. So the manufacturers aren’t even caught up with this yet,” Nicholson said. “So, we’re in the process of specking out and turnout gear now.”
Because Callahan’s death is from an occupational cancer, his death is considered in the line of duty. This means he will be honored in memorials to fallen firefighters.
“The International Fire Union has a memorial out in Colorado that he’ll be listed on. And there’s another memorial in Maryland,” Nicholson said.
Callahan did not have a wife or children, but if he had they would have received benefits because it was a line of duty death, Nicholson said.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, services will be held in Watertown for Callahan. The obituary on the Nardone Funeral Home website said:
Matt is the devoted son to Thomas & Elizabeth ‘Betty’ (Spiby) Callahan. Beloved brother to Kevin Callahan and his wife Lindsey. Cherished uncle to Makenna Callahan. Dear nephew to Cynthia & David Dickey, Linda & Jeffrey Thurlow, Brenda & Stephen Hudd, Ellen & Michael Randall and Margaret Kenney. He is also survived by many loving cousins.
Visiting hours will be held Aug. 28 from 9-11 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 212 Main St., Watertown, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at the church, and a burial at Ridgelawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Watertown Fire Department Local 1347, 99 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472.
Watertown, unfortunately, has experience with firefighter funerals, with the funerals for Watertown Firefighter Joseph Toscano in 2017 and Boston Firefighter and Watertown native Ed Walsh in 2014. Nicholson said he is not sure that the crowds will reach the same size as those funerals, but he expects firefighters from around the state to attend.