Public Outreach Department for the Mesothelioma Center Asbestos.com. As you might know, firefighters can expose themselves to dangers beyond the actual fire that could be life threatening. Asbestos exposure, chemical toxins and carbon monoxide poisoning are only some of the ancillary dangers that put firefighters at risk. Most of the time, firefighters are not aware of some of these other dangers and that is the reason why we are trying to team up with organizations like yours.