The cleaning practices of U.S. wildland firefighters' personal protective clothing (PPC) are widely unregulated and unknown. As documented in the structural fire service, failure to regularly and effectively clean soiled and contaminated PPC may lead to severe health impacts, especially in the long term. This study aimed to investigate the current cleaning practices of wildland firefighting gear and to determine the laundering resources wildland firefighters have access to while deployed in the field. This study is the first of its kind to collect end-user feedback on wildland firefighter PPC cleaning. Findings indicate most wildland firefighters do not isolate their contaminated gear, wash their PPC at home, and frequently transport their gear in personal vehicles. These practices are significant departures from the recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association 1877 Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Wildland Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment. Considerations of practicality and feasibility specific to the wildland fire service should be adopted by the standard.
Meredith McQuerry is an Associate Professor of Textile Science in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. She oversees the operations of two labs; the Textile Testing Laboratory and the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab® home to the only dynamic sweating thermal manikin at a public institution in the western hemisphere. As a clothing comfort physiologist, her research focuses primarily on the physiological comfort and performance of protective clothing for first responders, athletes, and industrial workers.
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