Firefighter Gear Costs: PFAS Suit Puts Replacement Bill on Manufacturers
A consolidated class action in Minnesota seeks to force gear makers to cover the billions of dollars needed to replace PFAS-containing equipment.
By Jonathan Ramirez ·
Firefighters across the United States are facing a difficult choice between wearing gear that may contain toxic chemicals and waiting for replacements that cost taxpayers millions. The dispute centers on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are used to make protective suits fire-resistant but have been linked to cancer. Municipalities are now fighting over who should pay for the upgrade.
The financial burden of replacing this equipment is substantial. Chris Albani, a Connecticut firefighter and union representative, estimates that a basic set of pants and a jacket costs up to $3,000. When helmets and gloves are added, the total per member reaches between $5,000 and $8,000. For a department with 200 members, Albani notes that the total cost becomes a major expense for local budgets.
Legal action is now challenging the manufacturers. Five separate class action lawsuits filed by various cities and towns have been consolidated into a single case in Minnesota. Jennifer Sclar, an attorney representing fire unions and municipalities, stated that the defendants understood the dangers of PFAS for decades before the chemicals became a public concern. She argued that the companies knew the risks but continued to market the gear as safe.
Court documents cited in the lawsuit reveal that major manufacturers, including 3M and DuPont, were aware of the toxicity of PFAS as early as the 1960s and 1970s. Internal records showed the companies labeled the chemicals as toxic and moved employees of child-bearing age away from certain assignments by the 1980s. By the 1990s, their own scientists had identified links between PFAS and cancer.
Despite this history, many departments have not replaced their current gear. A national survey conducted by InvestigateTV found that half of the responding fire chiefs said their towns could not afford the switch. Ed Kelly, head of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the union wants the manufacturers to pay for the new equipment because they infused the harmful chemicals into the gear for years.
Trust in the industry has eroded after recent testing failures. In 2025, the Quincy, Massachusetts fire department purchased new gear marketed as PFAS-free. Independent tests later found high levels of the chemicals in the suit. Mayor Thomas Koch called the discovery outrageous at a press conference. The manufacturer responded that it had eliminated PFAS from its textiles that same year and that the levels found were very low.
The lawsuit seeks to hold more than a dozen companies responsible for the replacement costs. 3M has argued in filings that it did not manufacture the specific gear worn by the plaintiffs and that there is no proof of direct physical injury. DuPont previously told another media outlet that the complaints were without merit. The consolidated case in Minnesota will determine whether the manufacturers must foot the bill for the new, safer equipment.
