Behind the scenes with IGNITE.
Dr. Christopher Gardner and Dr. Erica Sonnenburg review a sample for the IGNITE documentary as the study moves into the analysis phase.
The research team is now working with the Sonnenburg Lab to analyze over 800 samples from participating SFFD firefighters, including 412 stool samples and 435 blood samples. The team is beginning to interpret results and draft an academic manuscript for publication. A celebration for all participants to share the findings is planned for late fall.
Thank you to every firefighter who participated. We look forward to sharing the results.
#firefighterhealth #cancerprevention #ignite #firefightercancer #firefighters #research #sffcpf @cgardnerphd@sonnenburglab@stanford.med@burnalight@sffdpio@sffdlocal798
Your annual physical is a starting point.
For firefighters, it is also a chance to talk about cancer risk, recommended screenings, family history, symptoms, and anything that has changed since your last visit.
Having a Primary Care Physician means having someone who knows your health history and can track those changes over time.
If you do not have a PCP, or you are not sure what screenings to ask about, start with the PCP guide at sffcpf.org.
#firefighterhealth #cancerprevention #earlydetection #firefighters #sffcpf
"The options for treatment were many and hard to understand. Then I had clarity."
A cancer diagnosis can bring a lot at once: appointments, scans, treatment options, second opinions, paperwork, and decisions that are hard to make alone.
Health Navigation helps firefighters and their families sort through the next steps, connect with the right resources, ask better questions, and feel less alone through diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
Reach out through the Health Navigation page on our website.
#firefighterhealth #cancersupport #earlydetection #firefighters #sffcpf
#yoursffd off duty members laced up for some friendly competition at the 46th Jim Gallagher interstaion run! The proceeds from this run benefit @sfftoyprogram@sffcpf and the departments mental health unit.
Special shout out to @sffdlocal798 for running this amazing event every year.
#FirefighterFitness #Teamwork #HealthyHeroes #RunToServe
Women firefighters carry a lot. The calls, the exposures, the gear, the physical demands, and the health questions that do not always get talked about enough.
You deserve support from someone who understands the fire service and the specific concerns women firefighters face.
SFFCPF has a female Health Navigator available to help with cancer prevention, early detection, and navigating a diagnosis.
She is here. She is available. And she is ready to help.
Visit the Health Navigation page at sffcpf.org to get connected.
#firefighterhealth #womeninfire #healthnavigation #cancerprevention #sffcpf
SFFCPF is partnering with UCSF on the ENGINE Study — free PFAS testing for active SFFD firefighters.
PFAS chemicals build up in firefighters' bodies through gear and exposure on the job. This study is testing whether an existing drug can lower those levels. The foundation is funding blood work for 164 firefighters, and those with the highest PFAS levels will be selected for the study cohort.
- Who: Active SFFD male firefighters with 5+ years on the job
- When: May 11–13, 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Where: Local 798 Union Hall - 325 Newhall St, San Francisco, CA 94124
Sign up for a 5-minute testing slot. Visit sffcpf.org home page for sign up link.
There are nights that stay with you.
This was one of them. A room full of people who care deeply, show up fully, and believe in protecting those who have spent their lives protecting others. There was so much heart in that space, so much gratitude, and so much hope for what's ahead.
We left feeling inspired, moved, and more committed than ever.
Learn more at sffcpf.org
#sffcpf #firefighterhealth #cancerprevention #ignitinghopegala #neverforgotten
On March 28, we gathered at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco for a sold-out evening of purpose, gratitude, and momentum at the Igniting Hope Gala.
Together with firefighters, families, civic leaders, and community supporters, we celebrated 20 years of cancer prevention work built on one powerful belief: the people who protect San Francisco deserve the same protection in return.
The evening included the presentation of the 2026 White Helmet Awards, honoring Dr. Sima Porten, Dr. Maxwell V. Meng, and Dr. Matthew Gubens for their commitment to firefighter health. We were also deeply honored to see Founder and President Tony Stefani recognized with a California Assembly Certificate of Recognition presented by Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani, and to hear Mayor Daniel Lurie announce that Tony Stefani Way will be named alongside Station One, where Tony served as Captain of Rescue One.
For twenty years, this foundation has worked to turn awareness into action through cancer prevention, early detection, safer gear, and advocacy that protects firefighters on and off the job. This night was a celebration of lives impacted, progress made, and the work still ahead.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, supported the mission, and helped make this unforgettable evening possible.
#ignitinghopegala #sffcpf #firefighterhealth #cancerprevention #sanfrancisco
Thank you for giving me this honor of participating in the Francisco Firefighters
The Cancer Prevention
Foundation event. The 20th Anniversary
Ignitina Hope event at the @palacehotelsf Palace Hotel on March 28, 2026 was a huge success, over $50,000 was raised! @sffdpio@sffcpf@sante_artxstitch.art #handembroidery ( The music is one of the earliest Fireman’s marches by Francis Johnson in Philadelphia in the early 1820’s, also the helmet is an original helmet of the San Francisco Fire Department. I created a hand-embroidery side view)
Putting together the Igniting Hope Gala takes a team, and we're grateful for the Board Members who went above and beyond to make our 20th anniversary celebration one to remember.
A special thank you to Tom O'Connor and Chris Gruwell of New Deal Advisors for their incredible outreach in helping fund this year's gala. And to Margie Favro and Peggy Sugarman for their work on fundraising outreach and pulling together the auction items.
They weren't the only ones. Many of our board members worked behind the scenes to bring this night together. These are volunteers who show up for the mission because they believe in it personally.
Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Last night at the Igniting Hope Gala, we felt the strength of this community in a big way.
Thank you to our Premier Impact Sponsors: SF Fire Credit Union, Swinerton, IAFF Local 798, Mission Rock Resort, and the Fry and Arnautou Families. Your leadership support helps sustain firefighter health and cancer prevention in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Because this work continues long after the event. It means prevention, early detection, and health navigation for firefighters and their families when they need clear next steps.
Learn more or support the mission at sffcpf.org.
#ignitinghopegala #firefighterhealth #cancerprevention #sanfrancisco #bayarea @sffirecu@swinerton1888@sffdlocal798@missionrock
