NFPA Journal - Winter 2024 - 11

NEWS FROM NFPA
AND BEYOND
service, and approved four position papers that offer
policy guidance to fire departments around the world.
Despite a packed agenda, one topic at this year's
meeting seemed to pack an added urgency: the issue
of PFAS in firefighting gear. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances, or PFAS, are a family of human-made
chemicals that give firefighter turnout gear added
protection from things like heat and moisture but
may also potentially increase a firefighter's risk of
developing cancer and other health problems.
Two states, Massachusetts and Connecticut, have
already passed bans on the sale of personal protective
equipment (PPE) made with PFAS, which will take
effect in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Other states
and jurisdictions, including San Francisco, appear
on track to pass bans soon. The NFPA standard that
sets the minimum performance requirements for
firefighter gear-NFPA 1970, Standard on Protective
Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Firefighting,
Work Apparel, Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and
Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS)-now includes
limits on certain chemicals as restricted substances,
including PFAS.
With that as the backdrop, the fire chiefs leaned
in closer as researcher Bryan Ormond took the
microphone. For several years Ormond has led
efforts at North Carolina State University to study
the performance of a new generation of PPE made
without PFAS. The news Ormond shared, however,
didn't ease anyone's mind.
" The idea that we can replace [PFAS] and everything
moves on as normal is not a productive discussion. We
have to ask some hard questions, " he began.
Ormond then showed two videos that hammered
home the point. In one, a side-by-side split screen
showed a piece of fabric treated with PFAS next to a
PFAS-free sample. When a researcher used a dropper
to put diesel fuel on each, the liquid beaded on top of
the impervious PFAS-treated fabric but soaked into
the non-PFAS sample and spread like a drop of water
on a paper towel. In the next video, a researcher
introduced a flame to two PFAS-free fabrics, identical
except that one had been splashed with diesel. The
sample that was exposed to diesel caught fire and
continued burning, while the other refused to light.
" The study of PPE is a study of tradeoffs, and
we have to understand that you have to give up
something to improve something, " Ormond told the
chiefs. " There are PFAS alternatives-there are not
direct replacements. What you expect today [from
your PPE] is not what you can expect in future. "
Testing has also found that the PFAS-free material
is less breathable and offers less thermal
" The study of PPE is a study of
tradeoffs ... There are PFAS alternatives-
there are not direct replacements.
What you expect today is not what you
can expect in future. "
protection, which could lead to higher heat stress
among firefighters. It is also less durable, meaning
departments may have to replace ensembles more
frequently, Ormond said.
" This is a game changer for our industry; it's hard
to wrap your mind around the significance of just
this single change, " said Samuel Pena, the chief of
the Houston Fire Department. " For generations,
we've built armor and incentivized our folks to
take additional risk [during fires]. This [new gear]
cannot just be dropped into our industry and we
all say, 'just go about your business.' "
Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire
Chiefs Council in the United Kingdom, said that
the implications of switching to garments with less
thermal protection would likely necessitate " a generational
culture change in firefighter tactics. "
Based on these realities, the chiefs approved a
position paper that urges more research into PFASfree
gear and provides a framework to guide the
deployment and evaluation of the gear. The paper
also strongly encourages departments to implement
firefighter training around the new gear, and to conduct
pilot programs, risk assessments, and reviews
of existing protocols before the new gear is rolled
out en masse. In all, the document lists seven recommended
considerations for departments, each
with several related bullets.
" Understanding how the new materials perform
in various environmental conditions, including
extreme heat, breathability, and exposure to hazardous
substances, will help determine appropriate
work-rest cycles, rotations, and rehabilitation protocols, "
the position paper says. " Continuous feedback
from users and ongoing monitoring of PPE performance
in the field and the training environment will
help refine protocols, ensuring both the safety and
operational efficiency of firefighters while using this
new generation of protective gear. "
AI, Li-ion, and more
While PFAS grabbed the most attention, the chiefs also
weighed in on three other serious issues impacting
the fire service, drafting position papers on artificial
intelligence, lithium-ion battery decontamination,
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NFPA Journal - Winter 2024

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