Firefighters Celebrated with Release of Inaugural American Lung Association 2021 Firefighter Calendar

Every year, thousands of firefighters race up hundreds of stairs in full firefighter gear weighing over 45 pounds during American Lung Association Fight For Air Climbs in more than 40 cities nationwide. To honor these heroes, the Lung Association has launched its inaugural 2021 Fight For Air Climb Firefighter Calendar to raise funds to support the vision of a world free of lung disease. Calendars can be pre-ordered starting today for $20 each, to be delivered in October. Each calendar features photos of our firefighters at their local Fight For Air Climb from Los Angeles and New York to Milwaukee to Miami and everywhere in between.

The Lung Association mission hits close to home with firefighters because of their increased exposure to gases, chemicals and smoke in the line of duty. Respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, remain a significant health issue for firefighters and emergency responders. One of the many pollutants found in smoke is particle pollution, which is a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in air so small that they enter and lodge deep in the lungs. Firefighters can inhale smoke and a wide range of chemicals that may be present in a burning building.

“COVID-19 may have changed the way we do our signature Fight For Air Climb, but that won’t stop the Lung Association from honoring some of our most dedicated supporters,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. “Every purchase of a Fight For Air Firefighter Calendar will support the brave people who risk their lives, so they can save others.”

Among the heroes affected by lung disease include first responders to the site of the terrorist attack on Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001, many of whom developed different variants of asthma, acute rhinitis, sinusitis, sore throat acute cough and other lung diseases. On that day, some firefighters’ lungs aged the equivalent of 10 to 12 years in the first weeks to months following the attack from the dust they breathed.

The Fight For Air Firefighter Calendars will include fire-safety tips and statistics on how fires affect our lung health, as well as tips for how to train for your next Fight For Air Climb. Additionally, Lung Association volunteers and donors will be featured in the calendar to highlight how they acted nimbly and helped keep the mission of saving lives through improving lung health going stronger than ever.

For more information about the Fight For Air Firefighter Calendar visit Lung.org/calendar.

For media seeking to schedule a media interview with a local firefighter or lung health expert, contact Stephanie Goldina at the American Lung Association at 312-801-7629 or Media@Lung.org.