Opinion: Film shows firefighters’ soul-crushing plight

You last 20 minutes into the documentary before your gut clenches and the sobbing begins. Thirty years of media work have toughened your heart, but the story of the cancer epidemic among firefighters is a notable exception.

You no longer have enough fingers to count the line-of-duty cancer deaths inflicted upon the Arizona fire service.

Mark Fowl, Glendale. Trevor Madrid, Mesa. David Stutzman and Dave Rehnke, Peoria. Tommy Arriaga,Tempe. Brian Beck Jr. and Rick Telles, Phoenix. Mark “Bo” Boulanger, Chandler. Austin Peck, Goodyear.

Work-related cancer killed these fine human beings, prematurely by decades. Nowadays, cancer caused by toxic smoke and poison chemicals murders more firefighters than fire or any other cause.

The latest death occurred in Scottsdale in January. Multiple myeloma took Capt. Kory Yule, who served with Scottsdale Fire for 23 years. Yule, 42, left behind two children plus two “bonus daughters” and his wife, Ashley.

There have been too many funeral processions, too many new names etched into the memorial for fallen firefighters located near the Arizona Capitol.

This growing scroll of the dead is what motivated local filmmaker Patrick Gramm to spend nearly three months shooting “Dying To Save You,” a 27-minute documentary that follows three Valley fire captains at various stages of their fight with occupational cancer.

Executive produced by the 493 Firefighter Foundation, the charitable arm of the United Phoenix Fire Fighters, Gramm’s work cuts as deep as an oncologist’s scalpel.

“Nobody knows that there’s this epidemic going on, so nobody’s really working on the problem but the (firefighters), the lawmakers who are pressured, and the doctors who are aware that firefighters are in such a unique situation,” says Gramm.

“What I want is for everybody else to know about it so more people are working on the problem. There’s a lot of really smart people in the United States, and they’re working on a lot of problems. But if they don’t know this is a problem, there’s not enough people working on it.”

“Dying to Save You” focuses on retired Phoenix Capt. Bill Rini, who toiled on the frontlines for 25 years.

Rini was diagnosed with occupational cancer in 1999. Three additional cancer diagnoses followed. Years of treatment cored his body like an apple.

“They’ve had to remove my bladder, my prostate, my urethra, scrape my pelvic basin,” Rini tells Gramm. “It’s been quite the journey — 25 years.”

Rini swallows back his emotions. Then: “The cancer this last time around broke me. That’s the first time I’ve said that out loud.”

It’s the toughest snippet of video I’ve watched in years: Rini emptying his urostomy bag before describing the searing pain he experiences daily.

Gramm weaves his story together with Chandler Capt. Tommy Sagnella — back on the job after beating kidney cancer — and Phoenix Capt. Anthony Mock, who has Stage IV cancer tearing through his lungs, ribcage, colon, liver and lymph nodes.

My dear friend Bryan Willingham, the president of the United Phoenix Fire Fighters, weeps as he describes Mock. It was that quote that destroyed me.

“Anthony Mock is a special human,” says Willingham. “I’ve never seen somebody get so much bad news in such a short period of time and be able to smile. The strength, the courage, the determination to get his message out to make sure that other people get their screening — that’ll leave a lasting impression on this fire department for decades.”

Willingham chokes back tears. “Anthony Mock will save countless lives. Unfortunately at his own detriment.”

Gramm’s work will be entered in the Phoenix Film Festival in March, then the Arizona International Film Festival in April.

I’ll let you know when it’s available to watch — and to weep over so many lives lost.

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

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