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General President Edward Kelly announced on Jan. 30 that the IAFF retained three nationally recognized law firms to change regulatory standards, demand PFAS-free gear, and be available to be retained by members and families seeking compensation for PFAS-related illness.

General President Edward Kelly announced today at the Affiliate Leadership Training Summit that the IAFF has retained three nationally recognized law firms to change regulatory standards, demand PFAS-free gear, and be available to be retained by members and families seeking compensation for PFAS-related illness.

The IAFF hosted the world premiere of BURNED: Protecting the Protectors – a 30-minute documentary that details the dangers of PFAS in turnout gear – at the 2023 Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in Las Vegas.  

The House passed legislation Dec. 1 directing the federal government to develop guidance for fire fighters on best practices to prevent PFAS exposure on the job. The Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

“The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) supports the latest legal challenges filed by fire fighters in Massachusetts and New York alleging that the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – so called ‘forever chemicals’ also known as PFAS  — in fire fighters’ personal protective equipment (PPE) caused their illnesses, and that the corporations who sell the products are engaged in a ‘continuous and ongoing public deception’ regarding their risks.

IAFF General President Edward Kelly was a among the distinguished speakers at a virtual press conference announcing the filing of the PFAS Firefighter Protect Act. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Representative Dan Kildee (MI) are introducing the legislation in their respective chambers.

The Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana (PFFUI) has worked tirelessly to enact a new law in Indiana to monitor and help protect fire fighters from exposure to PFAS. 

In the next step in its fight to combat fire fighter cancer, the International Association of Fire Fighters filed suit March 16 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.