RIPON, Wis. — Battling a fire is obviously dangerous, and so are the toxins and carcinogens present on gear after firefighters have returned to the station. To protect the health of firefighters and preserve the integrity of gear, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has set industry standards to ensure equipment is properly cleaned and maintained.
Today’s advanced laundry equipment with customized controls and reports allows stations to easily program machines to meet specific requirements on-site, and to confirm that proper cleaning occurred.
Many fire departments—including a couple I spoke to in Fort Worth, Texas, and Milwaukee, Wis.—are saving time and money, and even prolonging the life of gear by doing it themselves.
UNIQUE STANDARDS
According to the NFPA, its NFPA 1851 standard “establishes requirements for the selection, care and maintenance of firefighting protective ensembles to reduce health and safety risks associated with improper maintenance, contamination or damage.”
Among the requirements, NFPA 1851 states that wash temperature cannot exceed 105 F, and extraction speed must not exceed 100 G-force, in order to protect the safety properties and integrities of high-tech fibers. High temperatures are not allowed during the drying process, either. NFPA 1851 also outlines the proper way to inspect, test and repair gear.
Unlike in many states, Texas law requires that its fire departments follow NFPA 1851. At the Fort Worth Fire Department, gear must be cleaned every time it comes into contact with fire. Ensuring personal protective equipment (PPE) is advance-cleaned at least once a year is the responsibility of Fred Jandrucko, captain of the fire department.
Fire departments commonly rely on an outside independent service provider (ISP) to make repairs and remove harmful contaminants and carcinogens that become embedded in gear. In Fort Worth, the department implemented in-house advanced cleaning in 2009. Jandrucko says they are able to effectively clean the city’s 980 sets of gear from 42 stations and address soiled turnout gear quickly.
“Fort Worth is the only fire department in the nation certified to perform advanced cleaning of PPE,” says Jandrucko. “As a verified service provider (VSP), we have the equipment and the resources to meet the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851, and protect the health of our members at a department facility.”
Dan Schubring, inventory control specialist for the Milwaukee Fire Department, oversees the maintenance of approximately 2,000 sets of turnout gear for the city’s 39 fire stations. The Milwaukee Fire Department employs 950 members, each with two sets of PPE that go through a thorough inspection and cleaning at the fire department’s in-house laundry center once a year.
“All fire departments and ISPs do their best to follow NFPA standards and procedure manuals, even if adherence is not mandatory,” says Schubring. “For Milwaukee, doing our best meant purchasing equipment to get the job done internally.”
GETTING THE JOB DONE
Jandrucko’s team in Fort Worth handles an average of eight sets of turnout gear per day. In Milwaukee, Schubring oversees the maintenance and repair of up to six sets of gear per day. The process is essentially the same across the two departments.
Employees hired specifically for the job follow a schedule designating which gear is to be picked up and at what station(s). Back at the department’s laundry facility, gear is inspected for contamination, recorded on inspection sheets and tagged. Then it’s broken down and sorted by type (e.g., liners and shells).
Next, gear of the same type is washed together. Advanced washer-extractors—one in Fort Worth and two in Milwaukee—are automatically programmed at the touch of a button to dispense the correct wash formula depending on the material, temperature and soil type. Detergent is dispensed below the water level and never directly onto turnout gear.
“With the help of our distributor, we recently programmed additional wash cycles, including one for bloodborne pathogens and an overnight soak,” says Schubring. “We can already visually see that these customized cycles are getting the dirt, soot and carcinogens out more effectively than a basic wash.”
Once the wash is complete, Jandrucko and Schubring can print a report to ensure water temperature did not exceed maximum temperature regulations and also view other performance data, such as start time, stop time and idle time between cycles for easy labor monitoring.
“The report gives me peace of mind,” Jandrucko says. “Another benefit of the advanced washer-extractor is that it drains much faster than the one we had previously, so we can process more each day.”
HUNG TO DRY
Next, gear may be hung in a conventional drying rack that pumps air through with a fan, using no heat. This process can take anywhere from overnight to one day to dry gear. To get the job done more efficiently, the Milwaukee Fire Department purchased two PPE drying cabinets designed specifically for the fire industry.
A drying cabinet circulates heated air to dry not only the outside of gear, but also the inner lining and its moisture barrier. This is a crucial step, as any remaining moisture on an inner liner can create steam burns if high temperatures are reached during a fire. Additionally, a drying cabinet’s preset programs allow workers to select temperature and time at the touch of a button, all while staying under maximum heat guidelines. In an efficient drying cabinet, six sets of gear can be ready to use in as little as three hours.
Once gear is dry, verified personnel inspect gear for wear and tear or loose Velcro and make repairs if necessary. A complete liner inspection with water pressure, or a hydrostatic test, may also be performed at this time to locate any specific damage or holes.
EFFICIENT ADVANTAGES
It costs approximately $200 per set to send gear out for cleaning, and even more if significant repairs are needed. Jandrucko estimates the on-premises laundry saves the department and the city of Fort Worth $150,000 annually.
While cost savings are a nice advantage of having an in-house laundry, the ability to quickly remove cancer-causing toxins from turnout gear is priceless. According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, firefighters are at a significantly higher risk for developing multiple cancers than the general population.
“If someone comes in with a contaminated garment that needs special attention, we can bag it up and get it washed quickly,” Jandrucko explains.
Schubring adds, “We are able to inspect, wash and repair gear, and get it back to the firehouse as soon as possible.”
Advanced equipment is also helping these fire departments extend the lifetime of expensive gear and protect its safety properties. Jandrucko says a head-to-toe set of turnout gear costs approximately $2,600 and its expected “shelf life,” according to NFPA 1851, is 10 years. That life span is rarely met, he adds.
“By getting a better clean the first time, we’re able to prolong the life of our gear closer to that 10-year mark,” says Schubring.
“For safety, price and convenience, I think more and more fire departments are considering the benefits of having advanced equipment in-house,” says Jandrucko.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].