Every year, more names are etched into the wall of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial — but most of those names weren’t lost to the fires they fought. They were lost to a hidden enemy: cancer.

Firefighters are on the front lines in our communities daily, saving homes, businesses — and lives. But while they battle flames to protect us, they’re fighting another, less visible threat. Americans can return the favor by encouraging elected officials to enable access to new tools to combat one of the leading causes of firefighter deaths: occupational cancer.

A new innovation in blood testing that can detect more cancers earlier promises to be a game changer — and Colorado’s own U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is leading the charge in Congress to ensure those most in need can access them.

If you asked most Coloradans to name the top cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters, they’d assume it’s from the fires and emergencies they respond to. But the truth is, three out of four of these deaths are from cancer.

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According to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), firefighters are 10% more likely than the general public to be diagnosed with cancer and nearly 15% more likely to die from it. On-the-job exposures to carcinogens make firefighters up to 100% more likely to develop lethal cancers like mesothelioma.

At last year’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, nearly two-thirds of the names added to the wall of honor were lives cut short by cancer. As a retired firefighter and former Denver Fire Chief, these statistics are all too familiar.

I’ve seen too many colleagues and close friends taken too soon. I worry about my own family members along with other families who will face loved ones taken too soon — not from the dangers of fire, but by the long-term carcinogens they faced in the line of duty.

But there is hope. A new diagnostic technology offers a chance to change the status quo, not just for firefighters, but for all Americans at elevated risk.

The key to beating cancer is early detection. However, current early detection tests exist for only five types of cancer, covering just 14% of all diagnosed cancers in a given year. That leaves far too many types undetected until it’s too late.

Now, there’s promising new technology that could revolutionize how we detect cancer. Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests can screen for dozens of cancers through a simple blood test. This innovation expands early cancer screening exponentially. And because of its simplicity, MCED tests can be made available nearly anywhere, breaking down barriers for rural and underserved communities across the country.

The statistics speak for themselves: When cancer is caught early, the chances of survival increase fourfold, and treatment costs are cut in half.

The task now is to make these life-saving technologies accessible to as many people as possible, as soon as possible.

Thankfully, there is strong bipartisan support in Congress, led by Sen. Bennet, to ensure MCED tests are covered by Medicare. This would be a crucial step for retired firefighters and millions of seniors across the country. With hundreds of cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, we’re on the right track — but more needs to be done.

Time is critical. Every delay means more lives lost. Congress must act now to ensure there is a system in place to make these tests available to those who need them most — firefighters, seniors and all Americans at heightened risk.

To me, expanding access to such promising technology for those at elevated risk for cancer, including firefighters and seniors, is a no-brainer. Let’s hope elected officials respond to this five-alarm fire threatening so many lives across our country.

A retired 36-year veteran of the Denver Fire Department, Nick Nuanes served as Denver Fire Chief from 2007-2009.