The Austin City Council is taking steps to phase out firefighting equipment and materials that contain forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.
These harmful chemicals are found in firefighting foam and in the protective pants and jackets worn by firefighters. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to cancer and other long-term health risks.
The council approved a resolution on Thursday that tasks City Manager T.C. Broadnax with creating a plan to phase out the gear and foam that contain PFAS over the next three years.
Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who is a volunteer firefighter, authored the resolution. She said finding alternatives is important in protecting the quality of life of first responders.
“It's important to remember that firefighters work in some of the most extreme and life-threatening situations as any department in the city,” she said. “And eliminating or minimizing any type of exposure to cancer is something that we should strive to do to protect our employees.”
Austin will join a few other cities and states in finding alternative gear and tools. But it will take some time to find the right fit.
Rob Vires, chief of staff with the Austin Fire Department, said the department has around 1,800 sets of gear they will have to replace.
Vires said the department will start testing out gear without these forever chemicals to ensure it is protective. Phasing out the old gear won't start until an alternative has been finalized and agreed upon by firefighters and fire leadership.
“It's a bit of a process to go through to get all that changed out, but we are committed to making sure that we are taking care of the firefighters,” Vires said. “Cancer being now one of the primary diseases firefighters catch as part of their job that we want to do our best to prevent that in every facet we can.”
Vires said the department will report back to the council on an annual basis on its progress.
Thursday's measure also calls for phasing out the firefighting foam that is used at the airport. Vires said progress is already being made in that area. He said crews at the airport have been testing out new PFAS-free foam. It performs differently and requires adjustments, but the foam at the airport should be PFAS-free by the spring, he said.
In addition to finding alternatives to gear and tools, Vires said the department is also testing for PFAS. Last year, the Austin Fire Department received a $60,000 grant to perform PFAS blood tests on 150 firefighters.
"Blood testing can be used to guide any additional PFAS risk-reduction efforts the department may want to take, especially in the areas of site mitigation and cancer screening," the city said in a news release.
The grant money will be used primarily to test people who were working with the foam at the airport, Vires said. That is expected to begin this month.
It is not clear what kind of impact this would have on the city's budget. As part of Broadnax's plan, he will lay out additional costs should any be required.
