PHOENIX — A Phoenix firefighter died in hospice care Tuesday after a long battle with cancer contracted in the line of duty.
David Mathis was an “A” shift BLS firefighter who served most of his career on Engine 15 and Engine 26, the Phoenix Fire Department said.
He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2007 and was granted one of the first accidental disability retirement awards in 2008.
His fellow firefighters are attending his body for the duration of this Honor Watch.
Cancer is a leading cause of death for firefighters, according to the International Association of Firefighters.
And a growing amount of research shows firefighters are more likely to get cancer diagnoses and to die from cancer than the general public.
In 2019, we saw four Valley firefighters die after battles with cancer they were believed to have developed on the job.
Earlier this year, a Tempe firefighter died of colorectal cancer at 36 years old.
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