PFAS is probably the hottest topic (excuse the pun) for firefighters. For years, firefighters have been exposed to these toxic forever chemicals through their turnout gear. Now, there’s a slow shift towards PFAS-free turnout gear right across North America.
What are PFAS compounds?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of fluorine-containing manmade chemicals. These chemicals have many unique properties that have led to their widespread use in every walk of life in the last few decades. These properties include being water repellent, heat resistant, greaseproof, and non-stick.
Some of the best known chemical brands of the 20th century were made from PFAS. These included:
- Teflon®, the trade name for PTFE, one of the very first PFAS compounds
- Scotchguard®, the original water and stain-resistant fabric treatment
- GoreTex®, the first breathable waterproof membrane that revolutionized outdoors gear.
What’s the issue with PFAS?
For almost 40 years, scientists have been raising questions about the safety of PFAS chemicals. They found that PFAS compounds rapidly accumulate in the environment and the human body. They are remarkably stable chemicals and are extremely hard to break down. Even worse for humans, they are actually reabsorbed in the liver, the main organ that helps to break down toxins in our body!
By the early 2000s there was clear evidence that PFAS is not only damaging the environment but also harming human health. Since then, numerous research studies have identified health problems that are linked with PFAS including cancers, immunosuppression, cardiovascular disease, and many more.
Why are PFAS so prevalent in turnout gear?
Firefighter turnout gear is among the most well engineered personal protective equipment in the world. It has to perform a number of critical functions that turn an ordinary human being into something of a super hero. These functions include:
- Water proofing: Preventing the wearer from getting drenched by water during firefighting operations
- Heat proofing: Protecting the wearer against extreme high temperatures that reach levels hundreds of degrees higher than even a pizza oven
- Breathability: Wicking moisture away from the wearer to ensure they don’t literally boil in their own sweat
- Grease resistance: Protecting the wearer from getting covered in flammable grease and oil during hazardous missions
On top of all this, the equipment has to be comfortable enough to be worn for many hours at a time in extremely hostile environments. If you look at the list above, you quickly realize why the gear manufacturers turned to PFAS as the solution to provide the required protection. However, the upshot of this has been to expose firefighters to these toxic chemicals on a regular basis.
What is being done about PFAS in turnout gear?
In the past few years, there has been a concerted effort to get PFAS banned from turnout gear. Initially, this only had limited impact. One reason for the slow pace of change has been the hard challenges of finding alternatives to PFAS that meet the strict requirements for turnout gear. So, there has been something of a chicken and egg situation. But last year, that began to change.
Notable PFAS-free fire departments
2024 saw three major announcements about going PFAS-free.
Vancouver
Vancouver in Canada aims to be the first major fire department in the world to go PFAS-free by the end of 2025. To date they have received enough PPE for around half of the city’s 900 firefighters. They have chosen StedFast’s StedAIR Clear firefighting coats and pants and have provided a one-off budget increase of $2.8 million to cover the costs.
San Francisco
In May 2024, San Francisco became the first major US municipality to ban PFAS in firefighting gear. The ordinance was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors and gives a deadline of June 30, 2026 for all personal protective gear to be PFAS-free. With some 1,700 firefighters in SF, this provides a real incentive for manufacturers to deliver suitable gear.
The State of Massachusetts
In August, 2024, the governor of Massachusetts signed a bill to protect firefighters from toxic PFAS in turnout gear. In this legislation, manufacturers are required to provide written notification to fire departments at the time of purchase if turnout gear contains PFAS. And starting in 2027, manufacturers will be prohibited from selling gear that they know contain “intentionally-added PFAS.”
These are not the only places to formally ditch PFAS in turnout gear, but they are the most significant as they represent a combined requirement for many millions of dollars of new gear.
Looking ahead
As things stand, most firefighting PPE still contains PFAS. Research indicates that PFAS-free turnout gear may not perform quite as well as the now-traditional PFAS-containing gear. However, with more and more municipalities and even States looking to mandate PFAS-free gear, it can only be a matter of time before the gear manufacturers step up to the plate. Meanwhile, we are seeing some interesting innovations, like Armadillo promoting Merino wool for PFAS-free base layers and station wear.
