If you're a regular reader of our articles, you know that our firefighters work hard (see here and here), especially in a dry state like Colorado.

To get a better insight into the firefighting profession, I spoke to local firefighter Kevin Housley, who has been serving the Fort Collins community for the last 15 years.

While Housley loves his job, he also told me about the hardships that come with such a dangerous career.

"Cancer is extremely prevalent in the American Fire Service," said Housley. "We're exposed to that [carcinogens] when we're inside of a house fire or a commercial fire through the smoke."

The cancer-causing carcinogens take a toll on the health of many firefighters, who then must struggle to pay medical bills.

On top of working to help fellow team members with medical bills, fire departments also need to provide educations for their firefighters and expensive equipment to smaller departments.

These costs are part of the reason why Housley is the Chairman of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund Colorado Chapter. Name after a firefighter who lost his life in 9/11, the organization works to fund the needs of firefighters all around Colorado.

"The big thing for us is to support firefighters for whatever they need," said Housley.

While the organization does its best to provide support, the Fund itself needs assistance from the community as well.

One of the ways the community can help is by attending the 8th Annual Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund Charity Ball. The event takes place at 6 p.m. on October 12th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Loveland.

The ball will feature both live and silent auctions, as well as free beer and a cash bar for wine and other drinks. There are a variety of ticket packages available on the website, and all the proceeds go towards helping Colorado's firefighters.

However, ticket sales end on Monday, so don't hesitate to show your support for these local heroes.

To learn more about the event, as well as hear details about the lives of firefighters in Colorado, listen to the full interview with Kevin Housley below.

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