East Millinocket Fire Department used a $90,000 grant to replace aging turnout gear for all 25 firefighters with PFAS-free protective equipment

EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine — The East Millinocket Fire Department has become the first in Maine to equip all of its firefighters with PFAS-free turnout gear, according to the department.

The department purchased new protective gear for all 25 firefighters with a $90,000 grant from the Gloria C. MacKenzie Foundation. News Center Maine reported the new equipment replaces aging gear and is designed to reduce firefighters’ exposure to PFAS, chemicals linked to cancer.

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Fire Chief Kevin McAdam said replacing the department’s aging gear, some of it more than 20 years old, would have been difficult without the grant. While the NFPA recommends replacing turnout gear every 10 years, McAdam said costs often force smaller departments to use it longer.

“Our main concern is the safety of our firefighters,” McAdam said. “If the gear we purchased doesn’t have PFAS in it to begin with, that’s one less piece of the puzzle we have to worry about as far as cancer with the firefighters.”

East Millinocket purchased the gear from Milliken, which developed a PFAS-free alternative amid growing concerns about firefighters’ long-term exposure to the chemicals. Company officials said the new gear meets existing safety standards.

Firefighters who have tested the new gear said it is lighter, more flexible and easier to move in. Crews have used it during training but have not yet worn it on an emergency call.

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