San Francisco is the latest municipality to start phasing out fire fighter gear containing PFAS after its Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance declaring personal protective equipment must be PFAS-free by June 30, 2026.
Local 798 and the San Francisco Firefighter Cancer Prevention Foundation (SFFCPF) were quick to contact the city administration and advocate for the change after the IAFF and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association issued a joint advisory on the dangers of PFAS in fire fighter gear. The advisory urged IAFF Locals to lobby for PFAS-free gear as soon as possible to reduce cancer risk.
“Eliminating cancer from the fire service starts with removing this toxic bunker gear from use,” said General President Edward Kelly. “As alternatives are tested and brought to market, all levels of government must ensure that our fire fighters are equipped with carcinogen-free gear.”
Adam Wood, who serves as Local 798 secretary and SFFCPF Vice President, said the Board of Supervisors immediately supported the issue.
Eliminating cancer from the fire service starts with removing this toxic bunker gear from use… As alternatives are tested and brought to market, all levels of government must ensure that our fire fighters are equipped with carcinogen-free gear.
General President Edward Kelly
“When we began pushing for the creation of this ordinance, we held a rally in front of City Hall and laid old turnout gear on the steps. We wanted to call attention to the dangers of wearing gear containing a known carcinogen,” Wood said. “The Board of Supervisors immediately understood that replacing both sets of gear was the right thing to do.”
The cost is expected to be more than $10 million, and the city is making significant progress toward fully funding the change. Nearly $2 million has been earmarked in the budget to replace older gear and the city has been awarded a $2.3 million FEMA grant to purchase new gear.
Local 798 officials also believe they are closer to a day with PFAS-free gear because members have been participating in the IAFF’s field test survey of new products. Several manufacturers have recently incorporated a non-fluorinated moisture barrier, along with a PFAS-free repellent outer shell coating, a crucial step in removing PFAS from all three levels of fire fighter gear.
Other municipalities, including Vancouver, British Columbia, and Concord, New Hampshire, are also switching to PFAS-free gear.
Vancouver is on track to be the first North American city to fully transition to PFAS-free gear.
“Mayor Ken Sim gave his support as soon as we explained why we needed to change our gear. We were just waiting on a PFAS-free moisture barrier to be certified for use, which happened late last year,” Local 18 President Katrina Davison said. “Now, I’m pleased to report that we are expecting delivery of the first batch of gear before June.”
The Concord City Council has approved the purchase of 92 sets of PFAS-free turnout gear, enough to replace members’ primary set. Officials hope to replace all the PFAS-laden gear within the next five years.
Local 1045 President Justin Kantar told WMUR, “To be able to take something out that’s in our gear currently and remove it, so … we’re not constantly absorbing it in these high areas where we know that we’re absorbing carcinogens currently – huge win.”
The IAFF has retained three nationally recognized tort law firms to assist the union in its efforts to end occupational cancer and remove PFAS from use in the fire service. In March 2023, the IAFF filed suit against the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for its role in imposing a testing standard that effectively requires the use of PFAS in fire fighter protective gear. The case continues to advance in Massachusetts Superior Court, where the NFPA is headquartered.
