(WWJ) – On Thursday Joe Warne will set off on a 140-mile journey, walking across the state of Michigan for the fourth consecutive year.
Warne, a Macomb Township firefighter, is continuing his annual walk as a way to raise money and awareness in honor of firefighters who have cancer.
Warne says firefighting is one of the most dangerous professions in the country, but not just because of the inherent dangers of the flames.
"The studies are showing that we are 9-25% more likely to contract cancer through our occupation than any other occupation in the country," Warne told WWJ's Charlie Langton live on-air Sunday morning.
There are hidden dangers in homes that pose a threat to firefighters, according to Warne.
"A lot of plastics that they're putting in homes, a lot of the glues that they're putting in the particle board woods, when they emit the fumes, there's a lot of carcinogens in that, and that is what's starting to affect us and cause the cancer is when we start to inhale that," he said.
Warne will begin his walk Thursday morning at 21 Mile and Garfield Roads in Macomb Township, and he's expected to end Sunday at a fire station in Cascade Township – just southeast of Grand Rapids.
Warne says this is all about taking care of his fellow firefighters.
"Cancer's the No. 1 cause of firefighter deaths now and it's very important to let the public know what we're going through, and it's also very important for me to take care of my brothers and sisters who are in these long battles," he said. "After starting this in 2019, you find out that they can't afford some of the medical equipment they might need for the long term, some of them can't afford gas money to get to and from the hospital."
Donations can be made through the Neighbors United Facebook page. All donations will go directly to firefighters' families affected by cancer.
The page will also be posting updates throughout the entirety of Warne's walk.
