Jeri Dansky23h ago

Good news, long overdue:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/firefighters-wear-n95-respirators-policy-change-rcna351438

The Forest Service announced Wednesday that firefighters were authorized to use N95 respirators on the fire line, a major policy reversal as the agency for decades did not allow such protections, even as studies demonstrated the health harms of wildfire smoke.

The Forest Service also announced that it is initiating a decontamination program designed to reduce firefighters’ skin exposure to the toxins in soot and ash. Workers will be paid for the time they spend washing clothes, cleaning their vehicles and showering after working on a fire.

The agency described the new policies as an interim step as it pursues a more robust protection program.

The announcement came as Congress increases its scrutiny of the agency’s protections for firefighters.

h/t @BakerRL75 @ai6yr

#wildfires #GoodNews

Federal firefighters will be encouraged to wear N95 respirators in major policy reversal

Although wildland firefighters are at high risk for smoke-related health issues, the U.S. Forest Service has for decades not allowed respirators.

NBC News
Show threadMatt Blaze
@jeridansky @BakerRL75 @ai6yr I had no idea woodland firefighters weren't supplied with respirators. That's insane. Structural firefighters carry their own air packs!
Jun 25 at 1:51amWeb
Show threadmusing_sys🇨🇦22h ago
@mattblaze @jeridansky @BakerRL75 @ai6yr woodland smoke not AS dangerous as the chemical soup we have in our houses these days. The N95 will be an improvement to keep the particulate out of the lungs
Show threadZimmie22h ago

@mattblaze @jeridansky @BakerRL75 @ai6yr It even sounds like they weren’t allowed to use respirators they supplied themselves? If so, that’s obscene! Anybody who has been around a wildfire for more than a few minutes can tell you how badly they wreck your ability to breathe.

The plain language of the article says they were not allowed to use respirators, but that’s so patently ridiculous that I’m desperately hoping if it’s some kind of misunderstanding. It would be like prohibiting firefighters from wearing Nomex because it’s synthetic!

Show threadTheGuy0919h ago
@bob_zim @mattblaze @jeridansky @BakerRL75 @ai6yr If I'm in their situation, I'm using the respirator anyways. They wanna fire me over protecting myself? Easiest court case there ever was, unless there's more that I don't know about.