25. Volunteer Firefighters Against PFAS Pt. 3

Mark Vick is the Chief Volunteer Firefighter for the Rich Square Volunteer Fire Department and President of the Northampton County Firefighters Association.

As a volunteer firefighter, they’re not only in service of the community, but also a more visible member of the community. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 70 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers. As mentioned in the previous two episodes, firefighters are at particular risk of exposure to PFAS from it being in their Personal Protective Gear as well as the foam to put out fires. The research shows that PFAS can leach out of turnout gear onto firefighters' skin and potentially enter their bloodstream.

With Mark, we talk about his experience as a firefighter, when he began to learn about PFAS, where volunteer departments get their funding and what volunteer departments can do to reduce their exposure.

Thanks for a great year everyone and I’ll be back with more episodes in January!

Contact and connect with Mark: [email protected]

Information on Firefighters exposure to PFAS: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/firefighter-gear-may-contain-chemicals-linked-cancer-rcna44511

https://www.iaff.org/pfas/

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/ig-091522.html

Help your local fire department: https://www.firehouse.com/volunteer-firefighter/article/12213967/how-to-help-your-volunteer-fire-department-step-up-and-stand-out