AAD launches, surpasses goal of firefighter skin checks program

We protect the heroes who protect our communities.

Last June, the Academy launched its Firefighter Skin Cancer Checks Program. Spearheaded by Christine Kannler, MD, FAAD, who lost her brother to cancer, and supported by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, the AAD’s Firefighter Skin Checks Program offers Academy members the opportunity to provide skin cancer checks for local firefighters, who are at a greater risk of developing melanoma and skin cancer than the average person.

The program launched at a pilot event during the Annual Meeting in San Diego, and since then, dozens of events hosted by board-certified dermatologists have checked firefighters across the country, including a launch event at the New York Fire Department’s training center in New York City.

The 83 member volunteers involved in the program surpassed the initial goal of 25, and the program flew past the goal of conducting skin checks in six states with events occurring in a total of 16 states across the country.

But the Academy also smashed one of its most important goals of all: providing 2,500 skin cancer checks by the end of 2024. The AAD facilitated nearly 3,300 and is well on its way to soaring past the goal of 10,000 checks by the end of 2026. Visit www.aad.org/firefighters to host your own skin check event.