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National firefighters group sues Mass. safety association over cancer-causing chemicals in protective gear
“The very gear designed to protect fire fighters, to keep us safe, is killing us."
The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) announced Thursday that they are suing the Quincy-based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for requiring certain protective gear to contain toxic and cancer-causing chemicals.
According to a press release from the IAFF, the NFPA — a non-profit organization that publishes widely accepted, though voluntary, gear and equipment standards — requires specific components of firefighter bunker gear to pass an ultra-violet degradation test, a 40-hour exposure to UV light without degradation.
And the labor union says the only type of material that can withstand the test is PTFE, a fluoropolymer type of PFAS, a substance which experts say can directly lead to cancer.
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Members of the IAFF believe that the requirement, found in a protective standards provision in NFPA 1971, is unnecessary and have called for its removal. But as the NFPA has maintained the provision, the firefighters association is now seeking damages and other relief with the lawsuit.
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“The very gear designed to protect fire fighters, to keep us safe, is killing us,” said IAFF General President Edward Kelly in the release. “Standard 1971 needlessly requires the use of PFAS in fire fighter gear.”
According to the IAFF, in 2022 almost 75% of firefighters deaths were caused by occupational cancer.
“Even when presented with independent science on the health and safety risks, the NFPA has refused to help save our lives,” Kelly said. “The IAFF has a duty to protect our members’ health and their families’ wellbeing.”
The IAFF says they have retained three nationally recognized law firms to combat firefighter cancer. The firms, which the IAFF refers to as the PFAS Law Firms, are available to firefighters who believe they have been harmed by PFAS, the association said.
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“It’s about removing the cancer-causing chemicals in our gear and finding justice for our brother and sister members,” Kelly said.
The complaint filed Thursday in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham also alleges that the NFAP has conspired with industry gear manufacturers who the IAFF says have pushed to keep the provision.
In a statement to Boston.com, the NFPA says they have not yet received the complaint, but share the health concerns felt by the entire fire service community and first responders.
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