Nantucket's Deputy Fire Chief Will Run 2021 Boston Marathon

NANTUCKET, MA — With less than a week to go before the 125th Boston Marathon, runners are gearing up from all across Massachusetts.

One Nantucket man, the Deputy Fire Chief, is running for a cause he says is close to his heart.

Sean Mitchell is running to raise money for the Last Call Foundation, an organization created to help inform firefighters and the general public about the dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) in firefighter turnout gear.

PFAS are highly toxic chemicals linked to a wide variety of health problems even at very low levels. The toxic chemicals are known to cause various types of cancer and other illnesses, and research is finding the gear meant to protect firefighters is actually making them sick.

Mitchell credits the LCF for playing a huge role in recent studies of PFAS and the dangers they hold.

"The Last Call Foundation was founded in memory of Boston Firefighter Michael Kennedy and the work they do is very close to my heart," Mitchell said. "As many of you know, we have been working for quite some time to help inform firefighters and the general public about the presence of PFAS in firefighter turnout gear."

Michael Kennedy was a Boston firefighter who was killed in a 9-alarm fire in the Back Bay in 2014. A West Roxbury native, Kennedy lived in Hyde Park and was a six-veteran of the Boston Fire Department. He was one of the first responders in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Close to two dozen more first responders were also injured in that fire. Two years after their deaths, a report from the Boston Fire Department pointed to inadequate staffing, lack of training and "failure to adequately assess risk" as three factors that led to the deaths of two men -- Ed Walsh, a 43-year-old career fire lieutenant and Michael Kennedy, a 33-year-old firefighter.

The Last Call Foundation also makes sure firefighters learn how to not only prevent but also detect cancer in their own lives. Through a partnership with DetecTogether, LCF is able to educate first responders about the importance of early cancer diagnosis and treatment.

For more information on the Last Call Foundation or to track Mitchell's progress before the marathon, check out the website here.