October 14, 2014
CALGARY — The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) has teamed up with Alberta’s largest research study to save even more lives, and has challenged all other Alberta emergency service providers to do the same.
“The Calgary Fire Department is committed to serving and saving the lives of Albertans,” says Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Brad Lorne. “When this opportunity arose to have a huge impact on the lives of future generations, we were happy to participate.”
The CFD is partnering with Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, a research initiative of Alberta Health Services, CancerControl, which seeks to find out more about the causes of cancer and other long term diseases. Alberta’s Tomorrow project wants to enroll 50,000 Albertans, aged 35 to 69, who have never had cancer, to take part in the research study. So far, more than 47,000 participants from towns and cities across Alberta have taken part.
“The Tomorrow Project collects information and samples before diseases occur,” says Alberta’s Tomorrow Project Scientific Director Dr. Paula Robson. “Researchers will be able to analyze these in the future to explore differences in people who go on to develop disease versus those who do not. In the short term, we can support different kinds of studies.”
To drum up even more participants, Lorne has issued a provincial challenge to all of Alberta’s emergency service providers to get involved in the study and surpass CFD’s participation rate.
“I strongly encourage other fire departments and emergency service providers across Alberta to show their support of this incredibly important research project,” says Lorne. “Saving lives is what we do every day, and with an investment of just two hours, we can continue to serve our communities far beyond our lifetimes.”
Firefighters, support staff and members of the public interested in joining the study are invited to the Tomorrow Project’s mobile study centre, to be held in Fire Training Academy Room 130, located at 5727 - 23 Ave. S.E, Calgary. The full day mobile will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. For information and to join the study, visit www.in4tomorrow.ca or call toll-free 1-877-919-9292 .
Partners for the Tomorrow Project include AHS, Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions, Alberta Cancer Foundation and, at the national level, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The Tomorrow Project could not occur without the generous support of our partners. The Tomorrow Project is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, which is made up of five regional health studies across Canada.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 4 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
- 30 -
