Health Team

Durham firefighters part of group taking charge against 'forever chemicals' in their gear

Firefighters are pushing for change, claiming the gear that's meant to protect them is actually making them sick.

Posted — Updated
By
Destinee Patterson
, WRAL multimedia journalist
DURHAM, N.C. — In North Carolina in 2022, 79 firefighters were diagnosed with cancer. Eight of them lost their lives.

Right now, firefighters are pushing for change, claiming the gear that’s meant to protect them is actually making them sick. They blame this on so-called "forever chemicals."

A group took their fight over so-called the chemicals in their gear to a national meeting in Durham.

On Wednesday, the fire fighters at Durham Fire Station 1 were out of the door in about a minute. These first responders are quick to put their lives on the line to save others. but they are demanding that they be given the proper equipment to protect themselves and their families.

While we might think the fire itself is the biggest hazard, we’ve learned that the very gear meant to protect them is also doing the exact opposite.

Studies are underway to confirm that. North Carolina State University is working on PFAS gear alternatives. This week, industrial conglomerate 3M announced it plans to phase out use of so-called "forever chemicals" by 2025.

"It's killing us," said Edward Kelly, President of the International Association of Firefighters. "Our fire fighters are tired of being guinea pigs for manufacturers to test their newest mixture of PFAs."

A 2020 study published by environmental science and technology letters found that cancer-causing PFAs, also known as “forever chemicals,” are in the gear fire fighters wear nearly every day.
Laura Leigh Bransford with New Hanover County Fire Department talked about the risks that the chemicals present.
"In simplest terms, the particles in PFAs are so fine, they just absorb into the gear into our skin and into our bloodstream," she said.
"It will never, ever be enough until we rid our gear of PFAs," said Scott Mullins, president of the Professional Fire Fighters and Parademics of North Carolina.
Following WRAL Investigates’ series of stories on the topic, North Carolina lawmakers approved a pilot program to provide more benefits to firefighters diagnosed with certain types of cancers. Wilder hopes that program will become permanent. He also hopes his department will soon start offering annual health scans for early detection, another step to better protect the protectors.

In order to get new gear, the National Fire Protection Association would need to change its regulations. Based on the current standards, the gear must pass tests involving ultraviolet light.

Those on Wednesday said they will continue to serve their communities, but they want to know that the standards in place actually protect them from the dangers that can’t be seen.

"We will continue to do our jobs; we don't have a choice," said Scott Mullins, the President of the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina. "We need gear that will keep us safe and not kill us."

Ultimately, they say they want proper gear with proper information on any hazards associated with the job.

Kelly remarked that the National Fire Protection Association publishes more than 300 codes and standards for safety, but NFPA 1970 does not do that.
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