Standing With Our Community: PHASE ONE Supports Firefighters, Shifts Gala to Fall

Volunteer Fire Foundation (VFF) and Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN) volunteer treating a firefighter with their Firefighter Detox Program.  

On behalf of the PHASE ONE Board of Directors, we thank our loyal supporters for your continued commitment to our mission of furthering early-phase cancer research.  

As you know, residents of our beautiful city were devastated by the recent wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities. Many of you have supported our organization for years and have been directly impacted, while others have felt the effects through friends and loved ones.

After thoughtful consideration during these unprecedented times, the PHASE ONE Board determined that it would be best to postpone our Annual Gala until the fall. Understanding that recovery and rebuilding efforts are ongoing and will continue for years to come, we believe this provides a more appropriate moment for our Gala than its traditional spring scheduling. You can save the date for September 13th, and we will provide more details in the coming weeks. 

While we've pushed back our Annual Gala, we certainly have not paused our efforts to support our local cancer community during this challenging time. Many of us have been incredibly moved by the heroic efforts of the firefighters who put their lives on the line during those terrifying days in January. Unfortunately, cancer represents the greatest long-term health risk to firefighters today.

Of note, firefighters face a 9% higher risk of cancer diagnosis and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer compared to the general US population, according to research by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH). 

PHASE ONE values the importance of investing for the long term, which is why we are pleased to announce that we will fund a $110,673 Community Grant to the Volunteer Fire Foundation (VFF) and Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN) to support the growth of their Firefighter Detox Program.  

While extensive research highlights the troubling statistics linking firefighters to increased cancer risk, practical solutions to address these risks remain limited. The Firefighter Detox Program is a targeted cancer intervention with the goal of becoming standard therapy for firefighters nationwide. For obvious reasons, we are proud to support this important effort. 

In the organization’s initial 2023 round of research, firefighters participating in the program saw a 72.5% reduction in high-range toxins. In 2024, during the second round of research, there was an 81.4% reduction in these toxins.  

The numbers speak for themselves, and the teams at VFF and IHAN are working hard to get this program introduced to fire departments throughout California. You can learn more about this work and these incredible organizations HERE. 

We will be back in touch soon with additional updates on the date and location for our 2025 PHASE ONE Gala. In the meantime, please know how deeply we value your ongoing support. Alongside the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, the cancer research world is currently facing significant challenges and uncertainties. The work we do may be even more important than ever before, and we can’t do it without you! We will share more exciting updates in the months ahead and look forward to gathering with all of you this Fall.