Firefighters save lives, and the last thing they need to worry about is whether their gear will keep them safe.
"It used to be the dirtier your gear the better because it proved you were a fireman's fireman," said firefighter Brett Langston.
Now, firefighters in-training are taught to keep their gear as clean as possible to prevent cancer. "Changing that mentality and changing that thought process has been a long struggle," Langston said.
Langston is part of a larger cultural change department-wide.
He was thinking about retiring after his 25-year career with the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, but now is in charge of more than 1,000 pieces of gear that keep every Toledo firefighter safe - both in a blaze and in the long term.