The City took an important step in improving the health of Newton firefighters last week when the City Council approved the appropriation of $1 million to buy essential safety gear.
The funds, which come from certified free cash, will go toward purchasing one set of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)-free gear for each firefighter in the department. According to Deputy Chief Jason Jasset, this means that “a set will be purchased for all 190 members with preference given to our front-line companies.”
According to the EPA, “Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. …Current research has shown that people can be exposed to PFAS by …working in occupations such as firefighting or chemicals manufacturing and processing.”
The U.S. Fire Administration said that according to studies conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology this year, “PFAS have been linked to cancer and other adverse health effects. Studies have shown that firefighters have higher levels of some types of PFAS in their blood due to their increased exposure to these substances when compared to the general population.”
“The vote to approve funds for PFAS-free gear demonstrates the support and dedication of our City government to improve the health and wellbeing of our first responders,” said Jasset.
“I believe it’s a top priority to protect the health and welfare of our firefighters, who put their lives on the line for our community, by ensuring they have access to the highest-quality and safest gear available — especially when elevated rates of cancer are a known reality in the firefighting profession,” said Councilor-at-Large Becky Walker Grossman, who shepherded the measure through an initial stage of the process to get approval.
Jasset said he did not know when the Fire Department would receive the funds, but when the funds are available, the procurement process will begin.
“The alternative gears on the market need to be tested and trialed before concrete purchases are made,” he said. “A typical set of gear includes [a] bunker coat, bunker pants, gloves, and hood.”
Right now, the department does not have any PFAS-free gear, said Jasset.
This issue has been a top concern at the state level as well. Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill this August that goes into effect January 1, 2027, stating that “manufacturers and sellers of personal protective equipment for firefighters will be prohibited from knowingly selling gear containing ‘intentionally-added PFAS’ chemicals, meaning PFAS chemicals or products that break down into PFAS chemicals that are intentionally added to the product during manufacturing.”
More research needed
Although the $1 million in funding is promising, national fire officials in September said more research is needed to test the efficacy of PFAS-free gear.
The National Fire Protection Association sets standards for firefighter gear (which now specify limits on PFAS) and hosts the Urban Fire Forum – an annual gathering of fire chiefs from around the world to review and endorse research related to fire service.
This September, the Urban Fire Forum endorsed a position paper on the need for further research on non-PFAS gear and the changes that it requires for training and firefighting protocols. The paper relied on FEMA-funded research by Prof. Bryon Ormond, who told the forum that PFAS-free material is less breathable and offers less thermal protection (which could lead to higher heat stress among firefighters), so its use will require significant changes to firefighting tactics. He added that non-PFAS gear is also less durable, requiring more frequent replacement.
Jasset could not be reached by deadline to comment on the Urban Fire Forum’s findings.