The Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Nevada Chapter has partnered with the California Society of Dermatologic Surgery.

Bringing free skin cancer screenings to all employees serving the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.

The pilot program is being held all weekend, already this morning they've seen about 45 firefighter patients but they plan on seeing 150 total for the whole weekend.

According to officials the Truckee Meadows Fire Protections District had a significant amount of melanoma exposures. 

Ann Haas, a Dermatologist for the California State Dermatology Society explains "Since most firefighters are men, and we know that melanoma occurs more frequently in men, and most firefighters don't see dermatologists on a regular basis."

Firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer, and 14% more likely to die from cancer compared to the general public.

We also spoke with Alex Doerr, a Firefighter Paramedic for Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue and the Nevada Sate Director of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network who says "If we can catch it early then we can prevent it from spreading long term and having some catastrophic effects, ultimately having a loss of life is what we're trying to prevent."

During the screenings they're also teaching firefighters how to notice the signs and symptoms of skin cancer.

Officials say they think firefighters should be screened once or twice a year for Melanoma because of all the toxic materials they come into contact with.

Haas tells us "A lot of these materials have carcinogenic potential, the firefighters are sweating, their pores are opening, they're exposed to all this stuff so it's no wonder that they're getting cancers and certainly their incidents of melanoma is higher." Doerr adds "That's why we take measures of doing DECON and doing some other steps, but getting routine medical exam's like what we're doing today is one of the biggest ways that we can help each other and ourselves from getting these cancers."