NEW HAMPSHIRE — The Governor of New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte, announced today that the State has invested $5 million to provide cancer screening for current and retired firefighters, in hopes that early detection will save their lives and continue their care.

Monday, April 6th, was the first day of testing.

This is part of the Firefighters First Cancer Screening Initiative, a pilot program that was developed by a committee of members of several organizations and approved by Senate Bill 352 during the 2024 legislative session. This will run for 24 months and be open for participation by all full-time and retired full-time New Hampshire firefighters.

This program began with the approval of vendor contracts in December 2025 and will continue for 24 months or until the allocated funds are fully expended, whichever comes first.

The health screening period is from April 6 to May 21, 2026, with appointments every Monday through Saturday, and will be conducted at the New Hampshire Fire Academy at 98 Smokey Bear Boulevard, Concord, NH 03305.

Resources: Scheduling: Appointment Scheduling | Firefighters First

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions | Firefighters First

Hashtags: #NewHampshireFirefighters #CancerPrevention

FIRE FACTS

According to our research, about 80% of fire departments are volunteer or on-call departments, while the remaining 20% are staffed by permanent firefighters.

Professional Firefighters are represented by the Professional Firefighters Association of New Hampshire.

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