THEIR PROTECTIVE CHEMICALS MAY CAUSE CANCER.
BIGAD SHABAN OF OUR
BAY AREA STATION HAS
MORE.
>> WATER COMING.
>> Reporter:
LIEUTENANT MAGALY
SAADE IS TEACHING THE
NEXT GENERATION OF SAN
FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS
ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT
ON THE FRONT LINES.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> OUR WHOLE JOB IS TO
WORK UNDER PRESSURE.
MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS
AND YOUR FEARS AND GET
THE JOB DONE.
>> Reporter:
REGARDLESS OF HOW
DANGEROUS IT MAY BE.
>> REGARDLESS.
>> Reporter: THAT
INCLUDES THE RISKS
THEY CAN SEE.
AND THE ONES THEY
CAN’T.
SAADE IS A TWO-TIME
CANCER SURVIVOR.
HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS
HAVE A SIX TIMES
HIGHER RATE OF BREAST
CANCER THAN THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE.
FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
ONGOING EXPOSURE TO
SMOKE AND OTHER
CHEMICALS IS SO
SERIOUS THE W.H.O.
CLASSIFIES
FIREFIGHTING AS
CARCINOGENIC.
AND IN RECENT YEARS
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN
EVEN THE PANTS AND
JACKETS FIREFIGHTERS
WEAR ARE MADE WITH
MATERIALS KNOWN TO
CAUSE CANCER,
SO-CALLED PFAS ARE
ADDED TO FIRE CLOTHING
TO REPEL FLAMMABLE
LIQUIDS AND RESIST
EXTREME HEAT.
THEY’RE KNOWN AS
FOREVER CHEMICALS
BECAUSE THEY DON’T
EASILY BREAK DOWN ONCE
ABSORBED IN THE SKIN.
>> TO PUT SOMETHING IN
THE EQUIPMENT TO
PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY
THERE TO RISK THEIR
LIFE FOR YOU SEEMS
REALLY MALICIOUS.
>> WE’RE TIRED, AND
WE’RE DYING.
>> Reporter: ON THE
STEPS OF SAN
FRANCISCO’S CITY HALL
BEHIND A MOUND OF
UNIFORMS FIREFIGHTERS
AND LAWMAKERS RECENTLY
ANNOUNCED PLANS TO
ENACT A FIRST IN THE
NATION BAN ON
PROTECTIVE GEAR
MANUFACTURED WITH
FOREVER CHEMICALS.
>> IT IS MORALLY RIGHT
AND IT’S FINANCIALLY
RIGHT.
>> Reporter: THE
ALTERNATIVE GEAR THAT
DOESN’T USE PFAS STILL
ISN’T WIDELY AVAILABLE
EVEN THOUGH THE
POTENTIAL HEALTH
HAZARDS HAVE BEEN
KNOWN FOR YEARS.
THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION
BLAMES INDUSTRY
STANDARDS RELEASED BY
THE NATIONAL FIRE
PROTECTION
ASSOCIATION, SAYING
THEY FAVOR THE USE OF
FABRICS THAT CONTAIN
FOREVER CHEMICALS.
IN A LAWSUIT THE
FIREFIGHTERS UNION
ACCUSES THE NFPA OF
BEING RECKLESS AND
DECEPTIVE, WHICH THE
NFPA DENIES, CALLING
THE ALLEGATIONS
MISGUIDED AND
ILL-INFORMED.
THE NFPA TELLS US IT
DOESN’T CREATE OR
DICTATE STANDARDS BUT
INSTEAD RELIES ON
EXPERT VOLUNTEERS,
INCLUDING THE
FIREFIGHTING
COMMUNITY.
NEW PFAS-FREE UNIFORMS
ARE NOW BEING TESTED
AT FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN
AT LEAST FIVE CITIES,
INCLUDING SAN
FRANCISCO.
WHERE FIREFIGHTERS SAY
SO FAR THEY’RE JUST AS
EFFECTIVE REPELLING
FLAMES.
>> SO THAT CHAR GOES
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
>> Reporter: CHEMISTS
AT NC STATE ARE
CURRENTLY TESTING IF
THOSE ALTERNATIVE
FABRICS ARE RELIABLE
WITH LONG-TERM USE.
>> WE DON’T WANT TO
JUST TRADE ONE HAZARD
FOR ANOTHER.
>> YOU CAN BREAK IT
DOWN.
>> Reporter:
LIEUTENANT SAADE SAYS
SHE’S FIGHTING FOR
PFAS-FREE UNIFORMS SO
FIREFIGHTERS CAN FOCUS
ON SAVING LIVES
INSTEAD OF WORRYING
ABOUT THEIR OWN.
>> THIS WOULD AFFECT
THE FUTURE.
AND IF IT CHANGES AND
LEGISLATION GOES
FORWARD, THEN YEAH,