A dedicated first responder who spent years serving her community is being remembered for her warmth following her death from breast cancer.

The Dekalb County Fire Rescue Department in Georgia recently took to its Facebook account to share that one of their own, Captain Charlene Jaudon, had recently passed away from cancer. She’d been with the department for nearly 20 years.

The post says, “Captain Jaudon bravely battled cancer while consistently maintaining her infectious spirit and warm smile.”

According to a report from Atlanta News First, she was first diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in February 2024, a day after her father died.

The fire department said she’s being remembered as an incredible friend, a devoted family member, and a cherished part of their own family. They asked residents to keep her loved ones in their thoughts and prayers.

Many types of cancer are more common in firefighters than in the general population. This is true of certain forms of the disease that you might expect, like lung, but it also applies to breast cancer.

Dr. Mary Reid, Chief of Cancer Screening, Survivorship and Mentorship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, says, “Firefighters are exposed to a lot of different chemicals that are aerosolized and volatilized by fire, and depending on what’s burning, it can be heavy metals, highly flammable building materials, arsenic, petrol or diesel, even when they’re using their masks and respirators appropriately.”

She adds that these chemicals can accumulate, which becomes especially apparent once someone has worked in the field for 20 years or more. The exposure can come from both the lungs and the skin.