Dave Plew has gone from fighting fires to fighting for his life.

Plew, 56, is an assistant chief for the Brunswick Volunteer Company No. 1. He has been fighting fires for more than 30 years. He now has Stage 4 kidney cancer, which his surgeons and oncologist attributable to his firefighting career.

The leading cause of death for firefighters is cancer.

His son, Matt Plew, followed in his father’s firefighting boots. The younger Plew is now advocating for earlier screening for firefighters.

However, few volunteer fire companies can afford the $400 cost per member for early cancer screening. 

The Brunswick Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 is one of more than 1,000 fire departments in New York state that are staffed by more than 80,000 volunteers.

According to a study by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, volunteer firefighters save New York taxpayers more than $3 billion every year.

Now, FASNY hopes that state lawmakers recognize that reality and return the favor by saving firefighters.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, the Brunswick Fire Company is hosting a fire prevention open house. It will also serve as a fundraiser for Dave Plew and his family to help them defray some of their medical costs. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Learn more about the effort to get the state to pay for early screening by watching Dan Levy’s three-part story.