Looking to address concerns about the environment, the Kenosha Fire Department stopped using a firefighting foam that contains chemicals that could contaminate groundwater.
The fire department made the decision last fall to ditch a firefighting foam typically used in fighting fuel or oil fires. The foam contains chemical compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, that contain fluorine, known as “forever chemicals” that could contaminate drinking water and may pose a cancer risk.
Ryan McNeely, division chief of training for the Kenosha Fire Department, said department administration made the decision last fall to dispose of all the PFAS foam used by the department and replace it with a product called Novacool Foam that does not contain the chemical.