RELEVANCE & METHODS

While significant progress has been made in the first two projects that have included establishing cleaning verification as an NFPA 1851-established requirement for garment shells by manufacturers and service providers and extending cleaning verification to other ensemble elements, gaps remain for comprehensively defining fire service best practices for cleaning and decontamination. Specific investigation approaches are detailed for filling these gaps by applying a series of designed experiments that measure contaminant removal for isolated cleaning variables (e.g., machine vs. manual cleaning, contaminant type, and impact on cleaning on PPE performance) that vary with the individual ensemble element. Additional project elements of this research are established for transitioning cleaning verification procedures to a simpler, resource-friendly kit that fire departments can employ, extending the field disinfection procedures (developed in response to COVID-19) for broader application to all PPE elements, and developing a reliable, quick-turnaround means for fire department to assess PPE contamination levels to inform their cleaning needs. Robust analytical techniques are being applied in each of these investigations that entail the adaptation of standard or previously developed test methods that are combined with field validation for demonstration utility and reliability.

ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES

When completed, this research will define the quantifiable basis for optimum, practical procedures that can be implemented by the fire service for the cleaning and decontamination applied to each part of the structural fighting protective ensembles. It will further answer key questions related to differences between cleaning approaches for the ensemble elements, variations in how contamination is removed on individual products (such as reinforcements and trim as related to base materials on garments), and how different forms of contamination may warrant changes in cleaning procedures. A large focus of this project is providing the evidence that supports cleaning approaches as part of recommended best practices. These practices and the results of this research will further improve the requirements and guidance in NFPA standards that in turn dictate fire service practices, provide comprehensive information on the cleaning and decontamination for the range of firefighting PPE, allow fire departments to assess their contamination levels and ability to remove that contamination and move the industry forward in how PPE can be designed for more efficient cleaning as well as how cleaning products and services can be more effective. The deliverables from the overall effort will ultimately reduce long-term contamination exposure from PPE as a secondary source, which should reduce the number and impact of chronic diseases in the fire service.