Fire Unions Sue Manufacturers Over Hidden PFAS Risks and Billions in Replacement Costs
A consolidated class action in Minnesota seeks to force gear makers to pay for PFAS-free equipment after decades of internal documents revealed known health hazards.
By Leila Reynolds ·
Hundreds of thousands of firefighters across the United States are still wearing turnout gear that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. These man-made chemicals were designed to resist heat and fire, but recent academic research has linked them to cancer and other health issues. The gear that protects first responders from flames may also be poisoning them through daily skin contact.
The financial burden of replacing this equipment falls heavily on local municipalities. Chris Albani, a Connecticut firefighter and union representative, estimated that a basic set of pants and jacket costs up to $3,000. Adding a helmet and gloves brings the total to between $5,000 and $8,000 per member. For a department of 200 people, the cost becomes a major budget line item for many towns and cities.
A national survey of fire departments found that half of the responding chiefs have not switched to new gear because their budgets cannot cover the expense. Many believe the cost should be borne by the manufacturers who made the equipment. This dispute has led to a massive class action lawsuit consolidated into a single case in Minnesota, joining five separate filings from various cities and towns.
Jennifer Sclar, an attorney representing fire unions and municipalities, stated that the defendants understood the dangers of PFAS for decades. Court documents indicate that companies like 3M and DuPont internally labeled the chemicals as toxic as early as the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, both companies moved women of childbearing age off assignments that involved high PFAS exposure to limit contact with the chemicals.
The lawsuit alleges that these manufacturers kept this knowledge hidden while continuing to sell the gear. Ed Kelly, who leads the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the union wants the makers to pay for the replacement gear. He noted that the companies infused the dangerous chemical into the equipment for decades despite knowing it was harmful to human beings.
Trust in the manufacturers has eroded significantly, particularly after the Quincy, Massachusetts fire department purchased new gear in 2025 that was advertised as PFAS-free. Independent tests conducted later that year revealed high levels of the chemicals in the equipment. Mayor Thomas Koch called the discovery outrageous. The company involved stated that it eliminated PFAS from its textiles the same year Quincy bought the gear and that the chemicals were not intentionally added during manufacturing.
Firefighters are now changing their habits while they wait for verified safe gear. Albani said he tries not to touch his jackets and pants until absolutely necessary because he knows they contain the chemicals. He described the situation as a problem where members have paid the ultimate sacrifice due to deception by the companies. The current legal battle aims to make those manufacturers foot the bill for the new, independently tested equipment.
