Six former employees of the Florida State Fire College and two of their spouses have filed a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of firefighting suppressants used at the college, which they claim led them to develop various cancers and diseases from exposure.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, alleges the companies were negligent and purposefully hid findings of studies that showed chemicals in the suppressants were carcinogenic and dangerous to the environment. The former employees allege the manufacturers knew about the adverse effects of their products since the 1970s but continued to manufacture, advertise and sell the products to consumers.
Manufacturers listed on the suit number 10 in total and include The 3M Company and Tyco Fire Products, L.P.