The city and county of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana, has filed a class-action lawsuit in an attempt to put first responders first.
According to the law firm Hagens Berman, the lawsuit centers on turnout gear, with more than a million firefighters across the United States coming into contact with toxic "forever chemicals," or PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
This equipment, according to legal filings, contains cancer-linked PFAS chemicals. PFAS have been widely used in firefighting suits for their water- and heat-resistant properties, but they also linger in the body and environment for years, and they have been tied to serious health issues.
Firefighters already face high cancer risks, and the gear designed to keep them safe may be making things worse.
Up to 70% of firefighters may eventually die from cancer, which is a much higher likelihood than the average population, per the report. The lawsuit says that PFAS exposure through daily gear use is a significant risk contributor.
Manufacturers such as DuPont/Chemours and 3M (which agreed to pay tens of billions in a separate settlement related to PFAS in 2023) had allegedly known for decades that these chemicals were dangerous, with documented evidence from as far back as 1983, per Hagens Berman, but they didn't warn departments or offer safer alternatives.
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Instead, the lawsuit alleges that manufacturers tried to cover up their findings. Fire departments were also left to cover the costs of replacing the gear themselves, sometimes at $3,000 per firefighter. Attorneys estimate the nationwide price tag for replacements could stretch into the billions.
By taking these companies to court, the lawsuit aims to shift responsibility away from public budgets and onto the manufacturers who profited from gear they allegedly knew was dangerous.
"As cited in our complaint, a group of students at UC Berkeley's Center for Green Chemistry concluded there is a PFAS-free alternative to what defendants have been peddling for decades," Hagens Berman's managing partner Steve Berman said.
"The conglomerates making turnout gear had absolutely no excuses, and chose to protect their bottom line over our nation's first responders."
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Majorly 😥 While the health of first responders is front and center, removing PFAS from gear also means fewer toxic chemicals entering our environment.
PFAS have been found in water supplies, soil, and even bloodstreams. Transitioning to PFAS-free options protects not only the people wearing the gear but also the communities they serve.
Plus, holding companies financially responsible sets a powerful precedent that health and safety shouldn't be optional.
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