Oct 14, 2025
Not long ago, a dirty, sooty turnout coat and helmet was a badge
of honor in the fire service—tangible proof that a firefighter was
in the action. But as concern grew about the high levels of cancer
in the fire service, that culture has totally flipped. Now, fire
departments around the world are going to great lengths to ensure
that their members never have to wear a uniform covered in
carcinogens. But to do that, you need to know when it’s actually
clean. That isn’t as easy as it sounds.
For the past 10 years, PPE expert Jeff Stull has helped lead a Fire
Protection Research Foundation project focused on answering those
questions. Stull joins the podcast today to discuss the
complexities of figuring out how clean is clean, the impacts the
project has had on firefighter health, and what further research
needs to be done as we move into the next generation of
PPE.
LINKS:
Read
Jeff Stull’s NFPA Journal Feature story about the project and
its impacts
Read the project’s scope, aims, and final reports
Learn more about the new NFPA 1850