We know that firefighters face danger every day from smoke, flames and dangerous chemicals. We have learned recently that they can face danger from the very protective gear that they wear. Certain chemical agents used to waterproof turnout jackets and pants have been linked to some types of cancer. And now it seems politics can prove a hazard as well. Recently, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux won approval for $22,500 from the city council to buy a washing machine and a drying cabinet designed to clean the heavy, specialized bunker coats and pants worn by firefighters when battling a blaze. If that seems costly for a washer-dryer combo, know that these aren’t the home washers you may have in your own basement or the kind you encounter at the laundromat.