VITALExam

11/18/2025

YO 850 FIREFIGHTERS! -8 5 0 TRAINING DAY

We are excited about the annual FREE 850 FIREMAN training day. Thanks for taking the time to attend this event. Just a reminder that this is 100% a volunteer event by instructors and all involved. We hope to inspire and pump you up about this great job of Firemanship!

Here are a few things to expect...

The event will start promptly at 0900, so be at the site no later than 0830. We will have an invocation and announcements at 0845, and start by 0900.

If you're the HOT Engine/Truck Class, you'll need your PPE/gear (helmet gloves glasses etc) no SCBA.

If you're in the RIT- full PPE plus SCBA and extra bottle if you can bring it.

If you're in Search Culture- full PPE plus SCBA and extra bottle if you can bring it.

FREE Lunch will be provided for you by NAFECO.

Hydration needs will be provided throughout the day by VITAL EXAM.

We will have an after-party and hang out afterwards, next door to the fire station at the food truck complex at the corner of Hwy 98 and Abercrombie Road. Plan on hanging out and talking about all things fire! Networking is a big deal in our job. Try to get out of your comfort zone and make local connections! There will be discounted beer (2$) and food provided by the establishment.

We WILL have limited 850 FIREMAN SHIRTS for sale, proceeds go to supporting this event and more merch in the future.

Parking will be tight. Students from the Fire Academy will be directing you were to park....so please look for them.

Any questions, concerns, etc don't hesitate to reach out.

Event Address: Midway Fire District, Station 37, 1801 Abercrombie Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563

11/15/2025

Congratulations to Pace Fire Rescue District on the grand opening of your new Station 4!

11/11/2025

We appreciate our imaging partners working with us to provide lung cancer screenings for our firefighters!

🔥 Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world – and fire fighters face an increased risk.

This , talk to your doctor about screening. Early detection saves lives.

11/08/2025

🧔 It's !

Let’s change the face of men’s health by encouraging regular screenings and supporting mental wellness.

🔥

10/23/2025

CHECK YOUR 🎃🎃 FOR LUMPKINS

🦇🎃🕷️ ‘Tis the spooky season… but your health doesn’t have to be scary.

👋 Monthly reminder: Do a testicular self-exam.

🧐 Feel a lump? Don’t wait, see your doctor.

💡 Testicular cancer is 95% curable when caught early.

Take 60 seconds. It could save your life.

🦇🎃🕷️🦇🎃🕷️

09/12/2025

We honored 9/11 on Sunday by joining Gulf Shores Fire Rescue for their annual Memorial Stair Climb alongside some of our firefighters from Daphne Fire Department, Mobile Fire-Rescue, and Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department. We remember—343. 🇺🇸

08/19/2025

🎉🐾 Happy 1st Birthday to our favorite therapy pug in training, Marshal! 🐾🎉 Thanks for bringing so much joy, love, and entertainment to our lives and fire stations! 🚒❤️

08/08/2025

We brought Sandy and Rick by Daphne Fire Department, then over to Baldwin County 9-1-1 for the Southwest Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs’ monthly meeting to deliver some more training and educational resources from DetecTogether and NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s National Firefighter Registry for Cancer.

Marshal also got to check out Daphne’s new puppy hydration station!

08/04/2025

We recently paused from administering our VITALExams at Mobile Fire-Rescue to attend their quarterly training, where Sandy from DetecTogether traveled from Massachusetts to present their 3 Steps Detect program and distribute educational materials from their Response Time Matters campaign — all aimed at helping firefighters recognize early warning signs of serious illness and take timely action.

Rick from NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s National Firefighter Registry for Cancer made the trip from Indiana to speak about the critical importance of enrolling in the NFR to help advance cancer research in the fire service. He also provided attendees with copies of CRACKYL Magazine’s special cancer edition to further support awareness and prevention.

Thank you both for taking the time to come down and educate our firefighters!

https://responsetimematters.org
https://nfr.cdc.gov

07/25/2025

It’s hard to put into words how proud we are of Captain Saraceno—not just for his strength in facing cancer, but for his courage in sharing his story publicly.

In this video, filmed in May 2024 less than a month after surgery, Captain Saraceno stood before the City of Daphne, Alabama - "The Jubilee City" council to personally thank them for bringing VITALExam’s NFPA exams and cancer screenings to their department—and to share how that decision may have saved his life.

He explains how what he thought would be a routine checkup in February 2024 turned into something far more serious when an ultrasound revealed multiple thyroid lesions, including one that appeared particularly suspicious. Just weeks later, he underwent a complete thyroidectomy at just 37 years old. Pathology confirmed multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma.

He had no warning signs—just the fatigue many first responders chalk up to the job.

"I didn't expect the worst possible outcome," he told the council. "But had we not caught it in time, without a doubt, it would have taken my life."

One week ago, Captain Saraceno received his “all clear.” He is now officially cancer-free and continues to advocate for early detection and firefighter wellness.

We’re incredibly grateful to him for sharing his journey and to Chief Tacon and Daphne Fire Department for their commitment to protecting the health of their team. This is exactly why we do what we do.

07/04/2025

Enjoy this great advice from our chiefs at Gulf Shores Fire Rescue and Gulf Shores Police Department! Have a safe and happy 4th!

07/02/2025

Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Alabama provides free support to firefighters newly diagnosed with cancer. Right now, there is only one mentor for the entire state of Alabama, with a second one on the way — on top of their daily jobs and responsibilities. As more cancers are found in firefighters throughout the state, they’re becoming overburdened.

If you’re a current or retired firefighter and a cancer survivor, in remission, or experienced the impact through a loved one or coworker, contact FCSN and consider becoming a mentor. They have a toolkit with a bunch of great resources to help those diagnosed with cancer to help them along the way.

We deliver valuable post-diagnosis resources followed by unique badge to badge, one-on-one mentorship from one of our 120 fire-service mentors who have firs...