CDC Investigating Safety Of Firefighters' Pants

[Lucky 13]

The city of Charleston moved quickly last year to replace its firefighters' polyester station uniforms after The Post and Courier reported that the material could melt in high heat and subject firefighters to unnecessary danger.

But the brand of fire-retardant pants the city bought to replace the old ones is now the subject of a federal health investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency launched its probe last week at the request of the Boca Raton (Fla.) Fire Department, where tests on some 30 firefighters who wear the same type of pants as Charleston firefighters detected high levels of antimony, a metallic chemical element that can cause health problems after long exposures.

Full story here.

What I don't get (I'm open to hearing another point of view) is that if you are wearing your bunker gear, why would you need flame retardant clothing underneath? I would think the simple solution would be to just utilize cotton uniforms. They don't LOOK as sharp as polyester or polyester blend, but you don't have to worry about the hazards associated with other materials. Just my thoughts.

[Daywalker]

That sucks, I know how much I sweat at a job in NY when its 60 out. Those guys down south have to be sweating their marbles off. Can't help the whole leaching problem.


I don't get all this concern over wearing polyester or poly blends though. I know they can melt, but come on.

[mongo619]

the argument i have heard reguarding poly-blend clothing under your bunkers was that "IF" there were a failure in your bunkers, the polyester or poly-blend would melt into your skin like a shrinky-dink.

that is they same reason that our safety vests that we are required to wear have to be removed for a fire scene.

[Lucky 13]

Originally Posted by Daywalker

I don't get all this concern over wearing polyester or poly blends though. I know they can melt, but come on.

I haven't yet heard of any firefighters having issues with them yet, but I think may FDs are wary about them after hearing stories of Marines having their under armor shirts (and the like) melt to their skin after the heat from IED blasts. Whether or not they would melt under bunker gear, I don't know, but it is probably just a chance that some FD brass don't want to take.

[Daywalker]

I looked it up once. There's like a 100 degree difference between 3rd degree burns and the melting point of polyester.

[jester1965]

I think somebody has really got too much time on their hands. Fire departments have been utilizing poly or blends for uniforms for years with little problem. Keeping your turnout gear in good serviceable condition and looking after it often should keep it from failing due to negligence, and if it fails due to exposure then you have more to worry about than some melted poly. Situational awareness and risk management go a long way in preventing being in a turnout gear failing situtation as well.

Our uniforms are poly-cotton, but most of us are in street clothes being vollies.