Sounding the alarm on cancer risks faced by firefighters, the Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday voted to set aside $420,000 to help municipalities buy equipment to remove deadly carcinogens from firefighters’ gear.
Under a budget amendment (1018) offered by Sen. Paul Feeney and adopted unanimously, the money would seed a new trust fund to support the bulk purchase of extractors -- essentially, Feeney said, large washing machines that can remove carcinogens that permeate clothing even after firefighters leave a scene.
“Firefighters throughout our country are surviving the calls only to become sick later on,” Feeney said.
A $10,000 to $20,000 expense, extractors can be cost-prohibitive for municipalities, and nearly 30 percent of Massachusetts communities lack such equipment while others have outdated models, Feeney said.