QUINCY, Mass. — Quincy firefighters are criticizing the City Council after it rejected a $2.6 million proposal to purchase new protective gear.
The firefighters’ union said the current gear contains cancer-causing chemicals, while councilors said they still have questions about the plan, CBS Boston reported.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are synthetic chemicals that persist in the environment and have been linked to cancer. The International Association of Fire Fighters says recent studies found PFAS in all three layers of firefighter turnout gear, calling the chemicals an unnecessary and serious occupational hazard.
Last summer, Quincy firefighters announced that independent testing found alarming levels of PFAS in their protective gear, despite the manufacturer’s claim that it was PFAS-free. Union President Tom Bowes and the department then began searching for replacement gear advertised as PFAS-free and sought testing to confirm those claims.
The department is seeking $2.6 million to buy two sets of new gear for all firefighters. But in a 5-4 vote on March 16, that drew shouts from the crowd, the City Council declined to advance the funding request out of committee.
“The science is changing so fast that we could get two sets of gear and three years, be back here talking about another chemical,” Councilor Anne Mahoney said during the discussion that rapidly evolving science could mean the city replaces the gear now, only to face new concerns about other chemicals in a few years.
Graham Peaslee, a University of Notre Dame physicist known for testing PFAS in firefighting gear, acknowledged that concern but said firefighters still need protective equipment to safely respond to fires.
CBS News Boston reached out to the five councilors who voted against the measure. Councilor Maggie McKee said in a statement that the science is evolving quickly and that non-PFAS gear may come with performance and safety tradeoffs that should be carefully considered before purchasing two full sets.
Jason Burns, a Fall River fire lieutenant and executive director of the Last Call Foundation, the nonprofit that helped facilitate testing of Quincy’s gear, said firefighters face the cancer risk now and cannot afford further delays.
The City Council is expected to revisit the issue on March 23.
Should departments move quickly to replace PFAS-containing turnout gear despite evolving science and cost concerns, or take more time to evaluate alternatives?
