One-sentence takeaway: Small “body-gap” compliance tests (often ~5–10 mm) and being outside a transmitter’s near/Fresnel zone don’t close the safety discussion—long-duration near-field and far-field exposures have shown biological signals in animals, and real-world worker/community experiences have driven precautionary policies. Federal Communications Commission+2National Toxicology Program+2

What happened

The firefighters (2004)

In 2004, medical writer Susan Foster and neurologist/toxicologist Dr. Gunnar Heuser ran a pilot on six California firefighters who worked and slept for years in stations with a 2G (GSM) cell tower on or adjacent to the station. Using brain SPECT imaging and neurocognitive tests (e.g., TOVA), they reported perfusion abnormalities and cognitive deficits consistent with the firefighters’ complaints (slowed reaction time, impulse-control issues, headaches, anesthesia-like sleep, depression, tremor). This small-N pilot wasn’t a blinded controlled trial, but it was compelling enough for labor leadership to act. Environmental Health Trust+1

At the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) convention in August 2004, delegates adopted Resolution 15, calling for a moratorium on siting cell antennas on fire stations until higher-quality research is completed. The IAFF’s own page still summarizes that position today. Environmental Health Trust+1

The schools (Ripon, CA — 2019)

After four Weston Elementary students were diagnosed with cancer over several years, Sprint turned off and moved the on-campus tower despite tests showing operation below federal limits. Parents’ independent measurements were higher than the district’s (still within limits), which fueled community pressure. CBS News+1

Why it mattered to policy

• Union precaution became law & practice. California’s AB 57 (2015) created “deemed-approved” shot-clocks for wireless sites but explicitly exempted fire department facilities—a carve-out that recognizes firefighter health concerns. Later streamlining bills (e.g., SB 649 in 2017) also included a fire-station exemption before the bill was ultimately vetoed. Justia Law+2LegiScan+2

• Local officials’ hands are tied on health. Under Section 704 of the 1996 Telecom Act (47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv)), states and cities cannot regulate tower placement based on the environmental/health effects of RF emissions if the site meets FCC limits—exactly why many communities feel stuck. Legal Information Institute

What we can—and can’t—conclude

• The firefighter pilot does not prove causation (n = 6; no control arm). It does document neurological deficits and SPECT abnormalities temporally associated with multi-year tower proximity—enough for the largest firefighter union in North America to urge precaution and more research. IAFF

• Independent animal data keeps the question alive. The U.S. National Toxicology Program (whole-body near-field/phone-like 2G/3G exposures) reported “clear evidence” of heart schwannomas in male rats (with some brain/adrenal signals). The Ramazzini Institute (very-low-level far-field/base-station-like exposures) also reported increased cardiac schwannomas and gliomas. Different exposure geometries, similar tumor types. National Toxicology Program+2NIEHS+2

• Distance & zones aren’t the end of the story. FCC compliance often relies on small “body-gap” assumptions (e.g., 5 mm test distances are standard in KDB 447498 guidance). Meanwhile, far-field animal work (Ramazzini) still observed effects—so simply stepping outside a handset’s near field or keeping a few millimeters’ separation doesn’t automatically negate concern for chronic exposures. Federal Communications Commission+1

Timeline (quick hits)

• ~1999: Activation of a tower near a California fire station; firefighters report neurological symptoms. Physicians for Safe Technology

• Aug 2004: IAFF Resolution 15 adopted; calls for a moratorium on towers on fire stations pending research. Environmental Health Trust

• 2015: AB 57 passes with a fire-station exemption (Gov. Code § 65964.1(i)). Justia Law

• 2017: SB 649 includes a fire-station carve-out; vetoed by Gov. Brown. LegiScan+1

• Nov 2018: NTP final reports (rat/mouse RFR). National Toxicology Program

• 2018: Ramazzini far-field base-station rat study (Environmental Research). PubMed

• Mar–Apr 2019: Ripon/Weston Elementary tower shut down and slated for relocation. CBS News

• 2023–24: FCC guidance & industry materials continue to reference 5 mm body-separation paradigms in testing. Federal Communications Commission

So…what should communities do?

1) Keep firefighters & kids out of the RF crosshairs.
Follow the IAFF’s precautionary stance: no towers on/adjacent to fire stations; adopt parallel no-towers-on-school-grounds siting norms and robust setbacks for playgrounds. (If your state has “deemed-approved” laws, push for fire-station and school exemptions in statute.) IAFF+1

2) Restore local choice on health.
Advocate to repeal or amend Section 704 so cities can consider health in placement—not just aesthetics and spacing. Today, § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv) preempts that. Legal Information Institute

3) Enforce existing federal radiation-control duties.
Public Law 90-602 (Electronic Product Radiation Control) already recognizes non-ionizing radiation as “electronic product radiation” and tasks HHS/FDA with ongoing standards and research—use it. Legal Information Institute+1

4) Mandate safer defaults indoors.
Promote wired connections and Li-Fi/optical links for classrooms and municipal buildings to reduce RF load while improving performance and security. (A technology shift—not a productivity sacrifice.)

5) Ask for modern exposure policies.
FCC compliance assumptions (e.g., 5 mm body gaps) should be aligned with realistic, contact-close device use and chronic exposure scenarios. Schools should adopt device-use policies that minimize body contact and night-time exposure.

Bottom line

• The IAFF’s caution didn’t emerge from nowhere; it followed documented neurological findings in a small pilot and years of symptomatic firefighters. Policymakers took it seriously enough to carve out fire stations from major siting laws. IAFF+1

• Schools aren’t a special bubble of safety: Ripon shows that even when RF levels test “under limits,” communities may still demand—and win—relocation to protect kids. CBS News

• Science is still evolving: with both near-field (NTP) and far-field (Ramazzini) signals in animals, the prudent path is precaution + better tech, not complacency. National Toxicology Program+1

Sources & further reading

• IAFF: Cell Tower Radiation summary and Resolution 15 background. IAFF

• EHT press release on IAFF vote & pilot summary. Environmental Health Trust

• CBS News on the Ripon school tower shutdown and measurements. CBS News

• NTP cell-phone RFR final reports (2018) & factsheet. National Toxicology Program+1

• Ramazzini Institute (Falcioni et al., 2018) far-field/base-station exposures. PubMed

• AB 57 fire-station exemption (Gov. Code § 65964.1(i)). Justia Law

• Section 704 / 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv) preemption text. Legal Information Institute

• FCC KDB 447498 guidance noting 5 mm body-separation test paradigms. Federal Communications Commission