New York City Firefighters May Get Safer Gear
New York City’s firefighters could soon be spared from using equipment that contains harmful chemicals linked to cancer, thanks to a new proposal being discussed by the City Council.
This week, Assembly Minority Leader Joao Arriola (R-Queens) introduced four bills. These would require the FDNY to phase out fire protection gear containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) by 2028. These substances have been used since the 1970s to enhance heat and water resistance.
Arriola mentioned, “This is about protecting our parents.” He is also chairing the Fire and Emergency Management Committee, which is set to hold a public hearing regarding the bill on Monday.
“Firefighters risk their lives for us every day. We need to ensure the gear that keeps them safe isn’t putting them at risk,” he added.
A class action lawsuit is currently underway, with thousands of plaintiffs, including several FDNY firefighters, claiming health issues due to contact with contaminated equipment. These plaintiffs allege that they also suffered health problems from using fire extinguishing agents that contained PFAS, which the FDNY stopped using many years ago.
Bobby Eustace, Vice President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, expressed concerns that, as of now, the FDNY hasn’t identified any PFAS-free alternatives that offer the same level of burn protection.
“This gear needs to go. Cancer is our members’ top threat,” Eustace remarked. He suggested that a three-year period to find safer products might be reasonable.
The exact cost of replacing the gear remains uncertain, and messages to the FDNY regarding this matter were not returned.
Alongside the gear changes, Arriola’s initiative also includes making annual medical exams available for firefighters to check for PFAS exposure and offering semi-annual exams for retired FDNY personnel.
As part of these measures, all fire departments in New York City would undergo testing for potential PFAS exposure in drinking water. This is significant since carcinogenic particles are known to contaminate plumbing systems. Settlements regarding drinking water polluted with PFAS have surpassed $18 billion in the United States as of 2024, according to Verisk Analytics.
