education
Firefighters could get PFAS-free turnout gear faster
A bipartisan Senate bill from Senators Martin Heinrich, Peter Welch, Deb Fischer and John Curtis would speed work on coats, pants and hoods that still meet the job’s heat-and-flame demands.
The bill is aimed at the gear firefighters pull on for every blaze. It seeks faster development of protective clothing that avoids PFAS, the long-lasting chemicals now used in some turnout gear.
- The bill targets firefighter coats, pants and hoods.
- PFAS are long-lasting chemicals used in some protective gear.
- A bipartisan group of senators is behind the push.
- The goal is safer gear that still handles heat and flame.
- Firefighters could eventually wear turnout gear, the coats, pants and hoods they pull on for a blaze, that is built without PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
Firefighters could eventually wear turnout gear, the coats, pants and hoods they pull on for a blaze, that is built without PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Those chemicals are prized for durability and water resistance, but they have also drawn concern because they linger for a long time.
In the federal Senate, a bill would try to speed development of that next generation of gear and has been referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. For crews, the point is practical: clothing that still stands up to heat and flame, without making the material itself part of the worry.
A bipartisan push for the next fabric
The measure comes from a bipartisan group of senators, including New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich, Vermont Democrat Peter Welch, Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer and Utah Republican John Curtis. Their bill puts the focus on a piece of equipment firefighters use every day, not on a headline-grabbing new program.
If manufacturers can deliver it, the shift would be a quiet one, but a meaningful one. It would change what hangs in the locker room before the next call comes in.