Fire chief hopes to transition away from cancer-causing gear

Finding any kind of volunteers is tricky, and the sort who will run into burning buildings are an even rarer breed. Fighting fires carries clear and obvious risks, but on top of that there’s danger that’s posed by some of the safety equipment used. A glimmer of hope on that front appeared on March 13, when the chief of the fire department in Vancouver announced a transition away from gear that includes cancer-causing PFAS chemicals. 

The main reason that these “forever chemicals” are used at all is because they have exceptional fire-retardant qualities. Their more ominous impacts became obvious when residents of Hoosick Falls found these cancer-causing agents in their water supply. Earlier this year, in a study published through the National Institutes of Health, researchers tried to understand the risk to firefighters and how to prevent it. 

According to New Paltz’s fire chief, Cory Wirthmann, this concern is “part of the reason we wanted a new firehouse. The gear locker room has its own self-contained exhaust for this exact reason.” Years ago, volunteers would keep gear in their cars for a faster response, but no more. Only the three chiefs drive around with it, and for them “we have special sealed boxes in the back of the cars, with an air filter on it for the gear so we don’t breathe it in while driving.” 

Wirthmann will be watching developments in Vancouver and elsewhere closely, but would like to see more research to gain confidence in the lifesaving value of newer gear. “Never buy the first ipad,” the chief quipped, but striking a more somber tone, Wirthmann also said, “I don’t know what’s worse: cancer, or burning alive.” 

This isn’t to say that there are no protections for these volunteers. In particular, a law passed in recent years requires that cancer insurance be carried on behalf of firefighters, for on-the-job illnesses. That’s on top of the insurance that’s long been in place to protect against more obvious firefighting injuries. Wirthmann doesn’t know anyone personally who has had to make a claim on one of these policies. 

At some point, a version of PFAS-free turnout gear will become the norm for New Paltz firefighters. How much more expensive it will be remains to be seen, but the safety for this special class of volunteers is of a high enough importance that local leaders will likely be motivated to find a way to supply it all around.