Advocates say equipment designed to save lives may be silently endangering them
By REILLY COOK & GRACE FRIEDMAN
Medill Illinois News Bureau
SPRINGFIELD — A bill to ban the sale of firefighter protective gear containing “forever chemicals” is gaining momentum in the Illinois General Assembly, as lawmakers, union leaders and firefighters themselves warn that the very equipment designed to save lives may be silently endangering them.
House Bill 2409, co-sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, and Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, seeks to expand on the state’s existing PFAS Reduction Act by targeting a lesser-addressed but critical source of firefighter exposure to these harmful substances: their turnout gear.
Turnout gear, also known as bunker gear, is the specialized protective clothing worn by firefighters to protect them when they respond to fires or other hazardous situations.
“We know the damage that PFAs can do to our bodies,” Kelly said in an interview. “While this is supposed to protect us, it’s doing us serious harm.”
PFAS have long been used to make products -resistant to water, heat and staining, but research has increasingly linked them to serious health issues, including multiple forms of cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization trying to protect environmental health through better industry standards, PFAS were first added to firefighters’ personal protective equipment in 1976.
The bill is backed by the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, a statewide union representing more than 17,000 firefighters and paramedics in 237 communities. Advocates argue that the legislation is crucial in addressing the leading cause of death among firefighters today—chronic illnesses such as cancer.
“Little did we know that the bunker gear, the very gear that is supposed to protect us, to keep us safe, is actually killing us,” AFFI President and retired firefighter Chuck Sullivan said. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they can stay in the human body a long time.
Numerous scientific studies from the American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the correlation between exposure to PFAS and the increased number of firefighters developing various forms of cancer. Kelly and Villavalam cited this research as the impetus driving the legislation.
Sullivan said the Illinois bill closely follows similar legislation passed in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Connecticut. Under HB 2409, manufacturers would be banned from selling gear containing PFAS in Illinois after Jan. 1, 2027. In the interim, labeling requirements would take effect beginning in 2026. Fire departments would be mandated to phase out affected equipment, such as self-contained breathing apparatuses or certain rescue harnesses, by 2030.
“When we put our gear on, it’s not on the forefront of our mind that that is also dangerous and also giving us additional exposures,” Steve Shetsky, a member of AFFI’s executive board, said. “So this bill would absolutely limit those exposures, which would make this profession safer.”
Retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Jim Tracy knows the risk firsthand. Diagnosed with colon cancer six years ago, he endured chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to eradicate the cancer he blames on the uniform.
“I was 22 years in the field when I got diagnosed,” Tracy said. “It is unfortunately one of those cancers you get from PFAS.”
Tracy, who spent 28 years working as a firefighter, said it was only recently that they received one set of gear that is “99% PFAS free.” The new equipment was delayed in production, he said, because manufacturers had to remove PFAS-laced materials from collars and cuffs and replace them with 100% cotton. Many firefighters, however, still wear older gear that is laden with forever chemicals.
“Personal protective equipment,” Tracy said. “It’s not very protective if it is giving us cancer.”
In addition to his own health battle, Tracy said he has many colleagues in the department who have gotten sick but do not report their illnesses out of fear of losing their jobs.
“They don’t want to get kicked off the job, so they go through it on their own and don’t tell the department,” he said.
‘Financial unknowns, replacements under testing’
HB 2409 passed the House 114-0 on April 10. It passed a Senate committee unanimously and is awaiting final action on the Senate floor before it can head to Gov. JB Pritzker for a signature.
Despite bipartisan support in both legislative chambers, the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association has been vocal in its opposition to the bill, citing concerns about the availability and cost of compliant gear.
John Buckley, executive director of the IFCA, testified before the Senate Labor Committee on May 6, urging lawmakers to amend the bill to delay the enforcement date.
“Our ask and our solution to the problem was to move the date from Jan. 1, 2027, to Jan. 1, 2029 — to give two years to determine if gear would be available and meet the needs of the firefighters in Illinois,” Buckley said.
While Buckley emphasized that the IFCA supports eradicating PFAS from firefighter gear, he warned that the current timeline does not allow enough time for departments to identify, test and purchase safe alternatives, which he said are not affordable or readily accessible.
“Currently, nothing’s been tested and vetted that meets that requirement,” he said. “The gear that’s out there that is PFAS-free is in very limited use, and some of it does not meet national standards,” Buckley said.
Buckley also pointed out that the proposed legislation lacks a funding mechanism to help departments cover the cost of new gear, which he said could “range from $4,000 to $5,000 per set.”
According to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, the state has 39,564 firefighters. Outfitting each with PFAS-free equipment could cost between $158 million and $198 million—a significant expense as Illinois faces a tightening budget picture for fiscal year 2026.
Still, sponsors said protecting firefighters from potentially deadly chemical exposure should take precedence over its price tag and logistical concerns.
“Our first responders deserve to work with equipment and clothing that does not pose a risk to their health,” Villivalam said. “This measure ensures they are able to continue to be protected while doing their work effectively.”
Even if HB 2409 becomes law, Buckley said he plans to continue pushing for a 2029 effective date when the 104th General Assembly reconvenes in January 2026.
Reilly Cook and Grace Friedman are graduate students in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and fellows in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.
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