PFAS in Firefighter Uniforms: What Firefighters Need to Know

For years, firefighters have focused on reducing exposure on the fireground.

Decon procedures improved. Dirty turnout gear stopped riding in personal vehicles. Departments began washing gear more aggressively and limiting unnecessary contamination exposure.

But there’s a problem almost nobody talked about:

Many firefighters still spend 24-hour shifts wearing uniforms that may contain PFAS, synthetic chemical treatments, flame retardants, or other problematic materials.

The same chemicals being removed from turnout gear discussions may still exist in station wear, duty apparel, base layers, and “performance” fabrics worn every single day.

This isn’t just a turnout gear conversation anymore.

It’s an occupational exposure conversation.

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What Are PFAS?

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals used to create water resistance, stain resistance, durability, and “performance” properties in textiles and industrial products.

PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly in the environment and can accumulate over time.

They’ve been linked in research to multiple health concerns, including:

• Certain cancers
• Hormonal disruption
• Immune system effects
• Liver impacts
• Reproductive concerns

For firefighters, the concern becomes cumulative exposure.

The fireground is already a high-risk environment. Many firefighters are now asking an important question:

Why continue wearing unnecessary synthetic chemical treatments during the other 22+ hours of the shift?

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The Hidden Exposure Problem in Station Wear

Most firefighters understand turnout gear carries contamination risk.

But station uniforms often receive far less scrutiny.

Many duty shirts, tactical pants, undershirts, socks, and “performance” garments are made from synthetic petroleum-based fibers or treated with chemical coatings designed to improve stain resistance, wrinkle resistance, moisture management, or durability.

Some departments still assume that if a product is commonly used in public safety, it must automatically be safe.

That assumption is changing quickly.

The reality is:
Minimum standards do not always equal optimal health standards.

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What NFPA 1970 Actually Covers

NFPA 1970 establishes minimum requirements for station/work uniforms and garments used by firefighters.

But there’s an important distinction many people miss:

NFPA standards are baseline performance standards — not comprehensive toxicology standards.

NFPA 1970 addresses things like:

• Thermal stability
• Durability
• Construction
• Seam integrity
• Performance requirements

It does not broadly ban PFAS from station wear.

That means departments and manufacturers still make material decisions independently.

The burden often falls on departments and firefighters to ask harder questions about what they wear every day.

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Why More Firefighters Are Looking at Merino Wool

As awareness grows around occupational exposure, many firefighters are reconsidering the heavy reliance on synthetic “performance” apparel.

Merino wool has gained attention because it naturally offers many of the same benefits manufacturers try to engineer chemically into synthetic fabrics.

Merino wool naturally:

• Regulates temperature
• Wicks moisture
• Resists odor
• Breathes well
• Helps reduce overheating
• Performs across changing conditions

Unlike many synthetic fabrics, Merino wool does not rely on PFAS coatings to deliver core performance characteristics.

That distinction matters to firefighters spending thousands of hours inside station uniforms over a career.

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Why This Conversation Is Growing

Firefighters are increasingly applying the same exposure-reduction mindset used on the fireground to everyday occupational wear.

That shift is driving larger conversations around:

• PFAS-free uniforms
• Natural fiber station wear
• Reduced chemical exposure
• Department procurement standards
• Long-term occupational health

This is no longer a niche conversation.

Departments, researchers, and firefighters across the country are beginning to ask:
If safer alternatives exist, why continue accepting unnecessary exposure?

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The Future of Firefighter Station Wear

The future of firefighter apparel likely won’t be driven by fashion trends.

It will be driven by exposure reduction, occupational health, and long-term performance.

Firefighters deserve gear designed for the realities of the job:

• Long shifts
• Heat
• Sweat
• Repeated wear
• Continuous exposure environments

The goal shouldn’t simply be passing minimum tests.

The goal should be building uniforms that better support the people wearing them.

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Final Thoughts

Firefighters already face enough unavoidable risk.

Station wear shouldn’t add unnecessary exposure concerns to the equation.

As more research and awareness continue to emerge around PFAS, synthetic textiles, and occupational exposure, firefighters and departments are beginning to rethink what “performance apparel” actually means.

Because what you wear for 24 hours matters.

And the future of station wear may look very different from the past.