On Tuesday, Dec. 10, Gov. Charlie Baker announced $920,000 in grant awards to 174 Massachusetts fire departments, including Harvard’s department. Harvard was awarded $5,000 for washer-extractor equipment, one of 75 departments to receive such a grant.
“These grants will help local departments purchase critical gear to support firefighters as they put themselves in harm’s way to protect the Commonwealth’s communities,” said Gov. Baker in a press release. “Helping to protect them from the physical and occupational hazards of the job is a key way we can show our appreciation for the dedicated service of our first responders.”
Washer-extractor equipment is used to clean firefighters’ turnout gear—the sum of a firefighter’s personal protective equipment—after exposure to smoke, soot, or fire. In Baker’s press release, Needham Fire Chief Dennis Condon noted, “Cleaning firefighting gear is not a longstanding tradition in the fire service. Soot and ash-laden gear was once the mark of a seasoned firefighter, but we now know that washing gear after every exposure to smoke is the safest thing to do.” Indeed, over time, with the evolution of modern buildings, risks associated with building fires have increased. Structures now include not only wood and glass, but also plastics, electronics, and various flame-retardant materials, which emit harmful, cancer-causing agents when ignited.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that firefighters, relative to the general population, had a greater number of cancer diagnoses and deaths in general and twice as many diagnoses of malignant mesothelioma, which is caused by asbestos exposure. Between 2016 and 2018, over 300 firefighters were diagnosed with cancer in Massachusetts, according to The Boston Globe, 29 of whom died from the illness.
In July 2018, Gov. Baker signed a law classifying a cancer diagnosis as a work-related injury for firefighters. The law, named for Tony Colarusso, who died of cancer at age 39 after serving for eight years with the Plymouth Fire Department, covers all cancer-related medical treatments, as well as pay for time missed. When Colarusso was diagnosed in 2014, no such legislation existed, and he went without pay and insurance for three months before his death.
While this legislation is critical for ensuring that firefighters receive medical care in the event of cancer diagnosis, preventive measures are also invaluable. Properly washing equipment using a washer-extractor is one such measure. These machines are engineered to provide a wash that is robust enough to remove carcinogens but gentle enough not to damage the protective materials of the turnout gear. All washer-extractor units purchased with the grant money will meet a national standard set by the National Fire Protection Association for effective cleaning of firefighting gear.
“This gear will protect our firefighters from receiving repeated exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals they encounter on a daily basis,” said Harvard Fire Chief Rick Sicard in a press release.
