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Committee advances two-year purchase plan for firefighter turnout gear to replace PFAS-containing sets
Summary
Ordinance 25-13 to purchase 12 sets of custom turnout gear for the fire department was advanced; staff said the replacement gear has been selected to avoid PFAS-containing materials and will be distributed over two years using EMS billing funds.
The Finance Committee advanced Ordinance 25-13 to purchase 12 sets of custom turnout gear for the Fire Department. Staff said the purchase will be spread over two years and funded from the EMS billing fund (Fund 781), with no general-fund impact.
A staff presenter said the department's current gear is roughly eight to nine years old and that NFPA guidance discourages using gear beyond 10 years. The department selected gear without PFAS-based waterproofing materials after discussing cancer risks associated with older PFAS-containing turnout shells. "The one that we selected...did not have that in it, but the one that we selected was comfortable, with everybody," staff said.
The nut graf: The committee approved advancing the purchase to replace aging turnout gear on a staggered schedule to spread cost and to address health concerns tied to PFAS exposures in older gear.
Committee members confirmed each firefighter receives an individualized set and that the staggered purchase will allow newer personnel to be fitted in subsequent years. Staff said the procurement was included in the five-year capital plan and that the EMS billing fund will cover the purchase. The motion to advance the ordinance passed unanimously.
Ending: Staff said the department will replace the oldest gear first and continue phased procurement next year to avoid a single-year large purchase.
