The House Committee on Urban Affairs met on August 13 to hear invited testimony regarding issues related to the process of cleaning firefighters’ equipment and addressing associated health risks. Representatives from firefighting association and the City of Houston were present to provide testimony.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing, but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
John Riddle, Texas State Association of Firefighters
- Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) was established to regulate and ensure health of firefighters, Commission is only allowed to spend a certain amount of money; could be used to ensure city and firefighters have resources to prevent cancers
Tim Rutland, Texas Commission on Fire Protection
- Commission rules have required departments purchase & maintain complete set of protective clothing for firefighters exposed to risky conditions, required to be suitable to task & selected according to national standards
- Recently TCFP adopted rule language clarifying that individual organizations must comply with safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Discussing required CE that could be attached to SOPs and rule
Paul Maldonado, Texas Commission on Fire Protection
- Describes process for inspections, both regular and by risk
- Chair Alvarado – Can you give an overview of different cities doing what should be done? How they are doing overall?
- Rutland – This is part of our rules, subject to inspections that look for SOPs
- Alvarado – Why were the new rules put in place recently?
- Historically, we have tried to let departments manage their own operations, recent dialogue nationwide has led to increased awareness
- Alvarado – What do you think your commission can do to help your departments?
- Guidance will help, they have until January to review and submit SOPs, Commission will check afterwards
- Alvarado – What is your schedule for this?
- Annually
- Alvarado – Asks after revenue
- Required to generate revenue that covers entire appropriations, also required to generate an additional $1.5 million
- Revenue comes from fees, renewal fees, etc.
- Isaac – Could you talk about some of the materials being burnt & what remains on the equipment
- Nature of materials in homes and structures has changed to synthetics that have different combustion products, extremely hazardous to the health of firefighters
- Even with protective clothing, still a massive health risk
- Riddle – Materials have changed, used to be simple materials; cancers are caused through absorption and inhalation of material that stays on equipment if not cleaned properly
- Elkins – What is the statistical difference between rate of cancer in firefighters and general population?
- Varies depending on type of cancer, 63% cancer rate in the service today
- Elkins – Is there a study we can look to?
- Multiple studies, can get you a list
- Alvarado – regarding fees, are you looking down the line to offer assistance?
- Fees are required based on certification
- Elkins – What is the procedure for cleaning
- Cleaning is broken down into different levels, from routine brush down to advance cleaning that requires certification and training
- Alvarado and Maldonado discuss cleaning processes and schedule of cleaning
Thayer Smith, Austin Fire Department
- Gives an overview of Austin Fire Department cleaning equipment, purchased several cleaning machines and works with a 3rd party cleaner and inspector
- Replacement schedule is every 10 years, used for frontline duty for 6 years and then placed on back up for 3 years
Aaron Woolverton, Austin Fire Department
- Cleaning extractors are $16k per, cost associated with equipment and delivery of gear; worth it as it is prevention of cancer for firefighters
- Would like committee and others to consider downstream effects of cancer & treatment
- Alvarado – How are you paying for this? Can you speak to budget?
- Factored into operating budget, 3 FTEs dedicated to this
Marty Lancton, Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association
- Cancer is the number 1 killer of firefighters, very common
- Absorption of materials and carcinogens exposed to inside burning buildings is the cause; Association focus has been to highlight and prioritize limiting exposure
- Have been working on prevention and awareness video, part of a multifaceted response from the Association
Sam Peña, City of Houston Fire Chief
- Incidence of cancer has not been properly tracked and studied
- CDC released a study covering 60 years and 30k firefighters, shows firefighters are at a higher incidence of developing certain types of cancers; mainly oral, respiratory digestive, etc.
- Federal legislation recently required tracking of cancer rates in firefighter population
- Large component is personal responsibility, needs to be communicated appropriately; need to provide tools & training to better prepare firefighters
- Difference between compliance with new regulation and ease of compliance, expensive equipment makes compliance much easier, but not necessarily a strict requirement
- Houston is meeting basic requirements, but can do more; could make it easier to comply and support equipment efforts, very difficult to allocate limited resources
- Bernal – It sounds like there might be a difference in quality or safety between compliance and expense, do you think that the compliance requirements might need to be raised given new info?
- Many new and effective procedures are cost-prohibitive regardless or the expense, currently the best equipment is the extractor
- Revenue cap is putting a stranglehold on what we are able to do above the minimum
- Alvarado – Is there anything the City of Houston Department can learn from Austin?
- Not too familiar to be able to speak in depth, in El Paso we grew program to have an extractor in every station & provided training to clean equipment in house
- Having experts at cleaning in house is the most efficient approach
- Alvarado – Every time we’ve had discussion of revenue caps, public safety steps up and testifies to the effect
- Cap is lesser of 4% or population + inflation, has been an increase of 2% in the last 2 years; cost of business has gone up in certain instances
- Cost of pharmaceuticals has gone up significantly, demand keeps growing and current budgets have much less purchasing power
- 99% of budget is wages and benefits, very little discretionary funds
- Alvarado – Hoping the Department will make this a priority, need to ensure firefighters have quality, clean equipment
- Alvarado – Asks after any other solutions
- TCFP has done a great job, has ensured SOPs are implemented and followed
- Smith – Tax cuts next session could mean equipment is unavailable
- Johnson and Peña discuss effect of opioids crisis
- Peña – Opioid crisis began in the Northeast, has progressed to Texas; opioid calls have increased and MAT agent costs have increased, has put stress on budgets
- Johnson – Is there a number attached to the increased costs due to these calls, etc.?
- Balancing act, need to ensure firefighters are equipped with tools to properly respond, little to no discretionary funds
- Much of the year-to-year budget needs to shift to respond to these kids of cost spikes
- Other issues like PTSD are public safety concerns for firefighters, these also need dedicated resources
- Alvarado – Looking forward to news on progress
- Working with donors to start outfitting stations, need to also verify that stations have the ability to keep and run equipment