The Amarillo Fire Department is taking a significant step to protect firefighters and their families from harmful cancer-causing chemicals. Eight fire stations will soon be equipped with specialized washing and drying machines designed to prevent carcinogens from contaminating homes.
This initiative aligns with Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, observed every January, as statistics reveal firefighters face a 14% increased risk of cancer-related deaths due to exposure to hazardous chemicals and carcinogens.
Currently, firefighters clean their heavy "take-off gear" in industrial extractors, effectively removing most toxins. However, the clothing worn underneath that gear, often washed at home, poses a concern.
“They are washing that stuff with their six-month-old baby’s clothes or their wife’s clothes or their children’s clothes. So those products of combustion, those carcinogens are being transferred to their loved ones' clothing,” said Jason Love, community educator at the Amarillo Fire Department.
The new appliances will ensure station wear is cleaned at the station, keeping personal and professional clothing separate.
“One of the things we’ve striven for is to get washers and dryers in all of the stations so that our station wear stays at the station and separate from our personal stuff,” added Love.
