Firefighters face growing cancer risk from their own gear, experts say
KMBC 9
[{'start': '0.233', 'end': '5.004', 'text': "AT PRO APPAREL KC.COM.  IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING OUR  PROTECTORS, THE PEOPLE WHO SAVE  LIVES AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE.  BUT IN TOO MANY CASES,  FIREFIGHTERS ARE DYING BECAUSE  THE GEAR THAT THEY WEAR TO  PROTECT THEM FROM FIRE AND SMOKE  IS ALSO CAUSING CANCER.  AND WE'RE DISCOVERING FINDING  PROTECTIVE GEAR THAT DOESN'T  CAUSE CANCER IS STILL YEARS  AWAY.  IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM FOR YEARS,  BUT THE ANSWER IS STILL YEARS  AWAY.  YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF  THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW  BACK 20 YEARS AGO.  TEN YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS.  GENE WINN IS TALKING ABOUT HER  LATE HUSBAND, RAY, WHO SPENT 32  YEARS WITH THE KCFD BEFORE  CANCER TOOK HIS LIFE IN MARCH  2021.  HE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS THE  GEAR.  WHAT?  SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A LOT OF  PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THE  PROTECTIVE GEAR.  OVER TIME THAT FIREFIGHTERS  EVERYWHERE USE HAS BEEN LINKED  TO HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATES OF  CANCER.  IT MAKES SENSE THAT A GARMENT  THAT USED TO, RE, YOU KNOW,  FLAMES NOT GET THE GUYS BURNT  AND HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING IN IT.  SPECIFICALLY THE MATERIALS USED  IN THIS GEAR.  PROTECTING FIREFIGHTERS FROM  FLAMES CONTAINED PFAS MAN MADE,  LONG LASTING CHEMICALS LINKED TO  CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER.  IF YOU WORK LONG ENOUGH AND  YOU'RE EXPOSED TO THIS STUFF FOR  ENOUGH TIME, THERE'S A PRETTY  HIGH CHANCE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO  YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING  EVENTUALLY.  AND HEISMAN IS PRESIDENT OF  FIREFIGHTERS, LOCAL 42.  IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, CANCER  HAS BEEN LINKED TO 70% OF LINE  OF DUTY DEATHS AMONG  FIREFIGHTERS.  NOTHING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW  THAT KEEPS US SAFE AND FIRES IS  PFPFAS FREE.  KCFD BATTALION CHIEF RILEY  NOLAN, TALKING ABOUT WHAT HIS  AND EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT IS  FACING TO REDUCE THE CANCER  RISK.  ALL KCFD STATIONS HAVE WHAT'S  CALLED A GEAR EXTRACTOR, SPECIAL  WASHING MACHINES FOR THEIR  PROTECTIVE GEAR.  AFTER EVERY FIRE, TAKING A  SHOWER AFTERWARDS, CLEANING YOUR  CLOTHES AFTERWARDS.  IF YOU'RE TAKING YOUR PERSONAL  PROTECTIVE GEAR WITH YOU HOME,  PLACE IT IN A SEALED BAG OR  CONTAINER.  ALL THIS AS RESEARCH CONTINUES  TO COME UP WITH PROTECTIVE GEAR,  WITH MATERIALS THAT DON'T CAUSE  CANCER.  CHIEF NOLAN FEARS IT COULD BE  YEARS BEFORE GEAR LIKE THIS IS  AVAILABLE.  I JUST DON'T SEE THAT IT'S  PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT  TWO, THREE, 4 OR 5 YEARS.  I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD SAY  PROBABLY NOT.  HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT TEN TO 15  TO 20 YEARS.  AND ONCE THAT NEW CANCER FREE  GEAR IS HERE, HOW MUCH WILL IT  COST?  FIREFIGHTERS, PRIMARY AND  SECONDARY TURNOUT GEAR CAN COST  $18,000.  AND OBVIOUSLY THE EXPECTATION"}]