The Omaha Fire Department is buying backup protective gear for its firefighters, giving them a second line of personal defense against cancer risks.
The familiar yellow fire-retardant coats, trousers and suspenders must be cleaned after fires so the ash, soot and household carcinogens that settle on collars, sleeves, knees and backs can be eliminated. The Omaha World-Herald reported that firefighters don't share the gear because each piece is tailored to protect a firefighter's skin.
Much of that protective gear gets worn dirty if firefighters get another fire call before what's called "bunker gear" can be cleaned, said Capt. Trevor Towey, the fire union's treasurer. The plan for a second set of gear is part of a national push by firefighting organizations to limit exposure to fire scenes and contaminants, said Dr. Eric Ernest, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and assistant medical director for the Fire Department.