Soot, grit and grime once were the height of fashion at American firehouses. Strutting around in a singed helmet and smudged turnout gear let the world know that you were one tough firefighting son of a gun.
“For some it’s still like the red badge of courage,” said Herington, Kan., fire chief Ken Staatz.
But the smart ones know better. Parading in filthy turnout gear after a fire is out is forbidden at many fire departments now. Dirty bunker gear, as firefighters’ protective clothing is also known, poses a cancer risk to firefighters and to those with whom they come in contact. “It is vital to the health of firefighters to properly clean bunker gear following a fire to prevent the transfer of carcinogens, particulates and biohazards,” the Kansas state fire marshal said recently in announcing a new cancer-prevention program.