Washington state is debating the ban of firefighting bill because it has toxic chemicals known as perfluoralkyl, polyfluoroalkyl, or PFA. It is said that chemical exposures to PFA's have been linked to a variety of health issues. The population of people who are most affected are Firefighters. Some training academies have begun using firefighting foam that does not contain PFAs. The bill that is passing through Senate also talks about banning the manufacturing of firefighting clothing and equipment that contain PFAs. Lawmakers are waiting for a bigger development plan by the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Health before moving forward with the ban. The question is, why aren't other states and fire departments looking into the toxic chemical that all firefighters around the United States are being exposed to. It is a very important topic of discussion to dive deeper into a chemical that could be harming our every day heroes. While so many of our local heroes are being exposed to these chemicals, there could be other brands that are utilized without the use of PFAs. At this point, the biggest thing we can do is spread awareness and demand a deeper look into the harmful effects of PFAs for firefighters.
Shukovsky, Paul. (2018). Washington State Nears Ban on Toxic Firefighting Foam. BNA. Retrieved from https://www.bna.com/washington-state-nears-n57982088723/.
I agree, we need to spread awareness about the harmful effects of PFA so people are knowledgable about this topic. You are correct, our every day heroes are being exposed to these chemicals so not only are they saving our lives but they are also being endangered themselves. More states need to follow Washington and debate the ban of fight fighting bill.
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