St. Johns County firefighters now use a giant hose hanging from the ceiling like it's second nature.
It latches on to the diesel exhaust pipes of every truck at the station.
It's called the MagneGrip, but it doesn't put out fires; instead it helps extinguish serious health risks.
“It actually captures all of that exhaust, that way on a daily basis we're not just breathing in diesel throughout the day,” said Lt. Lucas Smith.
According to the World Health Organization, enough exposure to diesel exhaust can cause cancer.
Smith says over the last five years, seven of his fellow firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer.
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The disease is the leading cause of death among firefighters today.
“When you see our own guys getting sick in the act of helping others it's going to weigh on you psychologically,” said Smith.
When firefighters return to the station after a call, one crew member will latch the MagneGrip onto the exhaust before they enter the station.
The hose will then filter out the toxic air through mounted ceiling pipes and away from their lungs.
“I think there's momentum behind us really trying to get ahead of the problem and preventing it from getting worse,” said Smith.
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Thanks to a federal grant, all St. Johns County fire stations now have the MagneGrip.
The total cost to install the system at 14 fire stations was about $800,000.
The system has worked so well that the MagneGrip is now standard for any new fire station built in St. Johns County in the future.