>> COMING.

IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA HORIZON, THE REGENTS BOARD WEIGHS IN ON WHILE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ATTENDING COLLEGE ARE DECREASING.

THAT'S ALL AHEAD IN THE NEXT HOUR ON PBS.

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M TED SIMONS.

ENCOURAGING COVID REPORT TODAY.

THE STATE RECORDED JUST UNDER 14,000 NEW CASES, A NUMBER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOCKINGLY HIGH A MONTH OR SO AGO, BUT IT'S FEWER THAN WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WEEK, SO AGAIN, ENCOURAGING.

THERE WERE NO COVID-RELATED FATALITIES ON RECORD.

ARIZONA'S SEVEN-DAY COVID-DEATH RATE NOW STANDS AT 14TH-HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY.

HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS AREN'T AS QUITE AS PROMISING.

MORE THAN 3500 PATIENTS ARE REPORTED TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR KNOWN OR SUSPECTED COVID-19 IN ARIZONA.

THAT CONTINUES AN UPWARD TREND.

BUT ICU-AVAILABILITY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, WITH 107 ICU BEDS NOW AVAILABLE STATEWIDE.

OTHER NEWS: STATE TREASURER KIMBERLY YEE ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT ARIZONA SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE AN 8.25 PERCENT INCREASE IN FUNDING FROM THE STATE'S PERMANENT LAND-ENDOWMENT TRUST FUND.

THAT MEANS A $433 MILLION PAYOUT TO SCHOOLS STARTING IN JULY.

LAST YEAR'S PAYOUT WAS 400 MILLION.

THE ENDOWMENT INVOLVES INVESTMENTS FROM THE SALE OF STATE LANDS GIVEN TO ARIZONA BY CONGRESS AT STATEHOOD.

AND SCIENCE NEWS: SATURN'S INNER-MOST MOON MAY CONTAIN A HIDDEN OCEAN.

THAT'S WHAT NASA RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING AFTER TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MOON'S OSCILLATION IN ITS ROTATION.

THIS WOULD MAKE THREE OF SATURN'S 82 MOONS CONTAINING UNDERGROUND OCEANS WHICH SCIENTISTS SAY COULD SUPPORT LIFE DESPITE BEING ENCASED IN ICE.

THE RATE OF ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ATTENDING COLLEGE IS DROPPING.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY THIS TROUBLING TREND IS HAPPENING, WE SPOKE WITH JOHN ARNOLD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS.

>> JOHN ARNOLD, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU FOR JOIN US ON.

>> MY PLEASURE.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT FEWER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING COLLEGE.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.

WHAT THE BOARD DOES, WE LOOK AT TWO POPULATIONS.

WE LOOK AT STUDENTS WHO JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL SIX YEARS AGO, AND WE LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING POST HIGH SCHOOL.

SO WE RECENTLY PUBLISHED OUR RECENT REPORT THAT LOOKS AT STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 2020.

THESE ARE THE FIRST STUDENTS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, AND WHAT WE DID SEE WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN STUDENTS WHO SOUGHT POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT STUDENTS TO GO ON TO A FOUR-YEAR SETTING, TWO-YEAR SETTING, A COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR EVEN SEEKING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS.

AND IN COMPARISON, SO IN 2019, 53% OF ARIZONA'S GRADUATES SOUGHT POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.

IN 2020, THAT DROPPED TO 46%.

SO PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT WE BELIEVE FROM THE PANDEMIC.

IN COMPARISON, TWO-THIRDS OF ALL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES SEEK POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.

ARIZONA TRAILED ON NATIONAL AVERAGES, AND NOW THROUGH THE PANDEMIC WE'VE DROPPED EVEN FURTHER BEHIND.

>> AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S THE LOWEST LEVEL IN CLOSE TO A DECADE HERE.

THE PANDEMIC IS OBVIOUSLY A HABITTER, BUT HOW IS IT A FACTOR IN TERMS OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES SAYING I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE NOW?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND ONE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUR ARMS AROUND.

THERE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL DECLINE IN COLLEGE GOING, ESPECIALLY IN YOUNG MEN.

WE THINK THAT THE PAN DEMOCRAT, EXACERBATED THAT.

MOST OF IT WAS OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WERE ONLY ONLINE IN THE FALL OF 2020, AND SO YOU'RE COMING OUT OF IN A EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT GOING TO COLLEGE AND GOING, WHY WOULD I GO TO COLLEGE IF I CAN'T HAVE THAT IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE FOR MY FRESHMAN YEAR.

WE BELIEVE THAT A NUMBER OF STUDENTS PUT OFF THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR.

WE'RE CONCERNED THAT ONE YEAR HIATUS IS TURNING INTO A MULTIPLE YEAR HIATUS, AND WE'RE DOING WORK TO ATTRACT THOSE STUDENTS BACK.

WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND GENERALLY BETTER WHAT ARE THE ATTITUDES AMONG ARIZONA STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TOWARDS HIGHER EDUCATION.

WHAT IS DRIVING STUDENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, AND WHAT ARE THEIR HOPES, GOALS AND DREAMS, WHAT DO THEY WANT TO GO DO, AND HOW CAN WE ATTRACT MORE STUDENTS FOR POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.

>> THERE WAS AN ENROLLMENT INCREASE FOR BLACK AND HISPANIC WOMEN BUT DROPS IN ASIAN, WHITES, AND NATIVE AMERICAN.

KIND OF A COROLLARY QUESTION TOE WHAT I JUST ASKED-DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE YEARS AND THROW THEM OUT THE WINDOW AND SAY LET'S GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

>> WE'RE LOOKING AT THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.

THEY'RE STILL FOALING THE TRENDS WE WERE SEEING.

FEWER MEN GOING TO COLLEGE.

MORE LATINO STUDENTS GOING TO COLLEGE.

MORE AT-RISK MINORITIES GOING TO COLLEGE.

MORE LOWER INCOME GOING TO COLLEGE.

THOSE GROUPS DRAMATICALLY TRAIL UPPER INCOMES AND WHITE STUDENTS, SO THEY STILL HAVE A LOT TO DO TO CATCH UP, AND THE UNIVERSITY IS GOING AFTER THOSE STUDENTS, SO THAT'S A SUCCESS STORY.

BUT 60% OF STUDENTS WHO SOUGHT POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION FROM FEMALE.

SO IT WAS 60-40.

OF ALL STUDENTS WHO SOUGHT COLLEGE, 60% WERE FEMALE.

THAT'S A NATIONAL TREND.

60% OF ALL BACHELOR DEGREES EARNED WENT TO FEMALES LAST YEAR.

THAT HAS BEEN THE TREND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND ONE THAT WE BELIEVE WE NEED TO REVERSE.

WE NEED YOUNG MEN TO THINK POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION SO THEY CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY.

>> I NOTICED COMMUNITY COLLEGES WERE HIT ESPECIALLY HARD WITH THESE NUMBERS.

WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

>> YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT.

UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENTS IN ARIZONA WERE ONLY DOWN 2%.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS WERE DOWN 25%.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT DROVE THOSE DECISIONS.

THE UNIVERSITIES, I THINK, DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB OF PREPARING FOR ONLINE EDUCATION.

WE ALREADY HAD PROGRAMS FOR ONLINE DELIVERY IN PLACE.

I THINK THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES TRAILED THAT A LITTLE BIT.

THEY ARE RECOVERING, AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB TRYING TO ADJUST THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, BUT FEWER AND FEWER STUDENTS ARE CHOOSING THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.

>> THE LAST QUESTION HERE.

YOU MENTIONED NATIONAL TRENDS REGARDING THE FEMALES AND MALES AND NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL.

WHY HAS ARIZONA HISTORICALLY AND ARIZONA IS CONTINUING TO TRAIL IN TERMS OF GRADUATES MOVING ON TO COLLEGE?

DO WE HAVE A BETTER GRASP ON THAT?

>> WE DO NOT.

WE'VE DONE A SIRES OF SURVEYS.

WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO ON THIS FRONT.

BUT I THINK IT BOILS DOWN TO THE VALUE QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE REASON YOUNG PEOPLE GIVE FOR NOT GOING TO COLLEGE IS THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.

THAT'S REALLIALITY VALUE PERCEPTION OVER A HARD DOLLAR PERCEPTION.

THERE IS ENOUGH FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN THE UNITED STATES, AND CERTAINLY IN ARIZONA THAT A STUDENT CAN GET THROUGH COLLEGE EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO TAKE ON SOME DEBT.

SO HOW DO WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE VALUE OF COLLEGE, AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEIR LIVES.

IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY.

THAT'S IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

THERE IS YOUTH WHO GO INTO THE WORKFORCE AND DO VERY WELL OR DO NOT GO INTO THE WORKFORCE AND DO WELL.

BUT FOR A SUBSET OF OUR WORKFORCE SOMEWHERE AROUND 30% OF OUR STUDENTS, WE NEED TO HAVE THEM OBTAIN A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE JUST TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WE HAVE IN THE STATE.

>> JOHN ARNOLD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS.

JOHN, WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU, SIR.

>> UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORROR RYE ZONE.

ANOTHER EXPANSION FOR THE MAYO CLINIC IN PHOENIX.

>> THE MAYO CLINIC INCOME PHOENIX IS EXPANDING AGAIN.

THIS TIME IT INVOLVES A PRO POEED BIO-TECH CORRIDOR ON THE 228 ACRES ADJACENT TO MAYO'S EXISTING CAMPUS IN NORTH PHOENIX.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM RICHARD GRAY THE CEO OF MAYO CLINIC IN ARIZONA.

RICHARD GRAY, YOU HAVE GOOD NEWS COMING OUT OF THE MAYO CLINIC.

TELL US ABOUT IT.

>> WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR RECENT PURCHASE OF 228 ACRES OF LAND NEAR MAYO CLINIC'S NORTH PHOENIX.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE.

>> THIS SURROUNDS THE CAMPUS IN MANY RESPECTS.

>> IT DOES.

THE ADDITIONAL LAND IS LOCATED TO THE NORTHEAST OF OUR CURRENT CAMPUS, SO NEAR THE 101 FREEWAY AND BETWEEN 56TH STREET AND 64TH STREET AND THEN EXTENDING SOUTH OF MAYO BOULEVARD, THE EAST END OF OUR PHOENIX CAMPUS.

>> THAT'S GOING TO BE QUITE THE OPERATION.

IT ALREADY IS QUITE AN OPERATION.

TALK TO US ABOUT THIS DISCOVERY OASIS BIO-TECH CORRIDOR THAT IS PLANNED WITH THIS EXPANSION.

IT SOUNDS LIKE NEW INNOVATIVE STUFF HERE.

EXPLAIN IT FOR US.

>> IT IS, IT IS REALLY DESIGNED TO BE A PLACE FOR PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS THAT CAN ACCELERATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTHCARE.

AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT HEALTHCARE NEEDS SOME TRANSFORMATION, AND MAYO CLINIC IS COMMITTED TO BEING A LEADER IN THAT.

IN MANY WAYS WE'RE TRANSFORMING OURSELVES AND REALLY TAKING HEALTHCARE MORE FROM THE TRADITIONAL PIPELINE MODEL FOR PATIENTS, AND MAKING IT MORE OF A PLATFORM MODEL WHERE THEY CAN PIECE TOGETHER ALL OF THEIR NEEDS FROM THE RIGHT PLACES.

AND TO HAVE THAT KIND OF A TRANSFORMATION IN HEALTHCARE, WE NEED DEAN COLLABORATION.

AT THE MYOCLINIC WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT ACCELERATIONS BY PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST AND WE BELIEVE HAVING THIS LAND AVAILABLE FOR BIO-TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS, AND NEW DISCOVERIES AS WELL WILL ACCELERATE THAT TRAN FORMATION THAT WE ALL WANT TO SEE IN HEALTHCARE.

WE BELIEVE IN DOING SO, WE'LL BUILD SOMETHING GREAT FOR ARIZONA, THAT WILL FURTHER OUR ECONOMY AND MAKE OUR AREA EVEN STRONGER.

>> CORRECT ME IF I'M STRONG.

WHEN AN IDEA BE YOU HAVE ALL THIS COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION, AND IT COMES UP WITH AN IDEA.

YOU GET THE IDEA MOVING FORWARD.

BUT YOU ALSO GOT THE PATIENTS RIGHT THERE CLOSE BY.

IT CLOSES THAT GAP OF--DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> THAT DOES MAKE SENSE AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE COLLABORATION OF WHAT PATIENTS NEED TO HAVE NEW CARE OFFERED TO THEM.

THAT MEANS SCIENCE-TIVE RESEARCH THAT WE DO AT MAYO CLINIC AND WHAT OTHER UNIVERSITIES DO, BUT THEN ALSO TO THE POINT OF APPLYING THAT.

EVEN COMMERCIALIZING IT SO IT CAN BE BROADLY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND INVOLVING THESE TECHNOLOGIES 23,450 HEALTHCARE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

SO BY HAVING ALL OF THOSE PIECES TOGETHER AS WELL AS WE BELIEVE A GOOD CENTER PIZZA OF MAYO CLINIC THAT HAS THAT PATIENT-CENTERED ATTITUDE AND THAT'S WHAT BUILDS THAT PHIL SPECTOR TRIPLE THAT BUILDS AN ECOSYSTEM THAT BUILDS SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS ALONE.

>> WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE PURCHASE ASPECT OF THIS, WHAT ABOUT THE PATIENTS.

ARE THERE MORE BEDS AVAILABLE HERE?

>> OUR PHOENIX CAMPUS IS ADDING 1.6 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE FOR CLINICAL IMPAIR AND ALSO RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, WHICH ARE KEY PARTS OF OUR MISSION.

AND OVER TIME, YES, SOME OF THIS LAND IS FOR THE GENERATIONAL FUTURE OF MAYO CLINIC AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, WHAT WE REFER TO AS OUR THREE SHIELDS, SIMILAR TO THE LOGO THAT I HAVE TODAY.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE THIS DISCOVERY OASIS PIECE.

SO THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THIS DEGREE OF LAND.

IT'S QUITE AN OPEN CANVAS ON WHICH WE CAN PAINTED.

IT'S FOR THE FUTURE OF MAYO CLINIC, THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE, COLLABORATION AND HOPEFULLY FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR GREAT STATE OF ARIZONA.

>> AND I NOTICE THE LINES PUSHING THE PATH OF EXISTING BOUNDARIES.

THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, ISN'T IT?

>> NO QUESTION.

THERE IS GREAT HEALTHCARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

THERE ARE GREAT TREATMENTINGS AND CURES AVAILABLE.

BUT WE NEED NEW CURES AND WE NEED NEW WAYS TO DELIVER HEALTHCARE TO PATIENTS IN A PATIENT-CENTERED WAY THAT MEETS THEM WHERE THEY ARE INSTEAD OF MAKES THEM CONFORM TO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

AND SO, TO HAVE THOSE NEW CURES AND TO TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE, IT TAKES ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.

MYOCLINIC IS NOT GOING TO DO IT ALONE.

NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT ALONE.

YES, WE WANT MORE SPACE TO HELP MORE PATIENTS WHICH IS WHAT MAYO CLINIC DOES BEST, WHICH IS A CARE OF COMPLEX DISEASE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO INVEST IN PARTNERING AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE CAPABILITIES THAT COMPLIMENT MAYO CLINIC AND PRODUCE THOSE THINGS FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY IN THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE TO HOPEFULLY BENEFIT ALL PATIENTS.

>> DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE FOR US?

>> THE TIMELINE IS TO BE DETERMINED.

WE DON'T HAVE SET DATES.

AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THIS IS ALL LAND.

WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE IT FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA COMPLETELY UNDEVELOPED.

SO IT WILL TAKE TIME TO HAVE PLANNING, PUT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE PLENTY OF PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST, AND WE HAVE GENERAL PLANS.

BUT LET'S SEE MORE OF THE TIMELINE PLANNING, DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, AND THEN SEE MORE FIRM PLANS IN THE FUTURE.

>> VERY GOOD.

RICHARD GRAY, CEO OF MAYO CLINIC ARIZONA.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE, SURE.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> WONDERFUL TO BE WITH YOU.

♪ ♪ >> JANUARY IS FIREFIGHTER CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT FIREFIGHTERS ARE AT A GREATER RISK OF CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION.

JOINING US TODAY DR. ROBERT GALAMAGA AND THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA AND GILBERT AGUIRRE, A GOOD YEAR FIREFIGHTER WHO IS BATTLING CANCER.

>> DOCTOR, JANUARY IS FIREFIGHTER CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

CANCER IS THE LEADING BE DEATH FOR FIGHTERS.

DO WE KNOW WHY?

>> WE KNOW THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS FACE A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS WHILE ON THE JOB WHETHER THEY'RE FIGHTING THE BLAZE OR A CHEMICAL IS BURNING IN THE AIR AND THEY HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR PERSONAL CARE EQUIPMENT OR OH OTHER STRESSORS THAT MAKE THE BODY PREDISPOSED TO THAT.

LEAD, FORMALDEHYD, AND THIGHS THINGS, THESE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN RUN INTO BLAZES, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN MIND.

THAT AWARES IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE EARTHS OF OUR FIREMEN AND OUR LEADERS IN THE FIREFIGHTING COMMUNITY TO DO SO.

AND WE ON THE MEDICAL SIDE TRY TO SUPPORT THEM NOTE ONLY THROUGH CARING FOR THEM IF THEY COME TO OUR DOORS, BUT SUPPORTING THEIR COMMUNITY AWARENESS.

>> DOCTOR, ARE THERE CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER YOU'RE SEEING MORE FREQUENTLY IN FIREFIGHTERS?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE TEND TO SEE, IF WE LOOK AT STATISTICS THERE ARE BLOOD DISORDERS THAT WE'VE SEEN A BIT OF AN INCREASE COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE POPULATION.

SOME OF THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE STAGGERING IF YOU LOOK AT IT.

CERTAIN DISORDERS SUCH AS LEUKEMIA AND MULTIPLE MYOLOMA AND SOLID TUMORS SEEM TO HAVE AN INCREASE INCIDENCE IN THIS POPULATION.

SO I THINK YOU REALLY TRY TO HONE IN ON THAT IN WAYS TO MITIGATE IT.

I THINK WE'RE IN THE EARLY PHASES OF REALLY INVESTIGATING THAT, BUT I THINK THE AWARENESS IS EXPANDING SUCH THAT I THINK WE'LL GET OUR ARMS AROUND THIS IN THE SHORT NUMBER YEARS AHEAD.

>> GILBERT, YOUR STORY, A BLOOD DISORDER, LEUKEMIA IS PART OF YOUR STORY.

TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, AND HOW THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.

>> OH MY NAME IS GILBERT AGUIRRE, IN JUNE OF 2015, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CML LEUKEMIA.

>> YOU'RE PRETTY CERTAIN BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID IN THE LINE OF DUTY?

>> YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S AN OCCUPATIONAL CANCER FROM THE EXPOSURE DURING ALL THE YEARS I WAS IN THE FIRE SERVICE AND REPEATED EXPOSURES OF RUNNING INTO BUILDINGS AND EVERYTHING WE'RE EXPOSED TO.

I HAVE NO PRIOR MEDICAL HISTORY, NO FAMILY HISTORY OF CANCER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, SO IT WAS AN OCCUPATIONAL CANCER.

>> AND I WAS GOING SAY YOU HAD A BATTLE AS WELL WITH WORKERS COMPENSATION, TRUE?

>> YES, I HAVE.

MY CLAIM WAS DENIED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ON THE PRESUMPTIVE CANCER BILL.

IT WAS DENIED, AND I'M STILL IN LITIGATION FROM THAT.

>> YEAH, FROM THAT AS WELL.

AND YOU'VE ALSO MANAGED TO CHANGE THINGS AS FAR AS GOODYEAR FIREFIGHTING PRACTICES ARE.

TELL BUS THAT.

>> WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN THE FIREFIGHTING SERVICE 21 YEARS AGO, CANCER IN THE SERVICE WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE KNEW ABOUT.

BUT OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, OBVIOUSLY MORE OF US ARE GETTING IT AT A YOUNGER AGE, SO WE'VE MADE BIG CHANGES TO TRY TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'RE EXPOSED TO IT, AND ESPECIALLY WITH WITH OUR DECOM PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO IT.

GOODYEAR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS GONE THROUGH GREAT MEASURES TO PREVENT SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

AND BY IMPLEMENTING NEW PROTOCOLS AND ALSO BY THE BUILDING OF OUR NEW FIRE STATIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE DONE TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'RE EXPOSED.

>> THE TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP FROM BREATHING IN THAT AIR.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HELPED DEVELOP.

>> MORE IMPORTANTLY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP, WE MADE OUR STATIONS INTO A ZONE SYSTEM.

AND WHERE THE CARCINOGENS THAT WE BRING IN FROM RIGHT AFTER A FIRE, WE MADE IT INTO A ZONE SYSTEM WHERE NONE OF THAT ENTERS INTO OUR LIVING QUARTERS.

>> OH, VERY GOOD.

>> THAT'S SOME OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE IN THE TRY, GOOD YEAR IS ONLY ONE OF TWO STATIONS IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THAT INNOVATION.

>> WAS THIS A PROBLEM YEARS AGO?

WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW IT?

>> I THINK WE HAVE TO CONCLUDE THAT.

I THINK THE AWARENESS OF EXPANDING, THE WORLD IS A SMALLER PLACE.

DATA IS EXCHANGED MORE READILY NOW.

I THINK WE'RE ON THE CUPS OF PUSHING THAT INFORMATION OUT.

AND MR. AGUIRRE IS ON THE FOREFRONT ON THIS.

HE EDUCATED ME ABOUT WHAT HE DOES WITH THESE DECOMS SORT OF ZONE.

THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, AND HOW HOPEFULLY WE'RE ABLE TO PUSH THAT OUT FOR FOR THE AUTOPSYNAL SIDE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS UNDER THE RADAR ENOUGH THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A RANDOM EVENT FOR A YOUNG GENTLEMAN TO HAVE ONE OF THESE CANCER.

BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING THESE EXPOSURES ARE PLAYING A ROLL AND THE DATE IT IS COMPELLING.

>> YOU'VE DONE A LOT.

YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES.

WHAT MORE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DONE?

>> I THINK IN GENERAL, WE'RE MAKING A BIT, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW FOR THE.

AND THE LAST FIVE YEARS WHEN IF COMES TO CANCER REDUCTION MEASURES AND I THINK EVERYONE IN GENERAL IS DOING THAT.

SO THAT'S A GREAT THING.

OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO GET RID OF CANCER IN THE FIRE SERVICE AS A WHOLE, BUT THAT IT BUT WITH DOLLARS COMBINED WITH ALL OF THE RESEARCH, THEY'RE GOING TO HELP US TO DEFEND OURSELVES AND HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER AT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MICHAEL.

>> GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, GOOD DISCUSSION.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> PLEASURE.

>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS ON CRONKITE NEWS.

THERE IS A NEW COACH OF THE PHOENIX MERCURY.

HERE ABOUT HER UNCONVENTIONAL PATH TO THE JOB.