Fighting fires also means fighting toxic materials.
After a rescue at a house fire near Lake Stickney last week, our crews shifted from lifesaving and fire suppression to reducing their cancer risk.
Modern fires produce a massive amount of cancer-causing chemicals that stick tightly to firefighters’ turnout gear. Occupational Cancer is a leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for firefighters.
That’s why we use on-scene decontamination tools like this “Storm Stick.” This cleaning process is designed to remove most surface contaminants from gear.
The gear is then bagged, sealed, and placed in an exterior compartment on the scene to keep the engine cab clean on the ride back to the station, where it undergoes specialized deep cleaning.