Kathy Crosby-Bell said a washing machine at each of the city’s 34 firehouses would allow firefighters to quickly clean their gear after a blaze and remove dangerous carcinogens stuck to clothing, curbing the risk of getting the disease.
Currently, firefighters bag their gear and send it to headquarters for periodic cleaning, a process Crosby-Bell calls “cumbersome, inadequate, and outdated.” A machine in every firehouse would mean firefighters can clean their gear every week, Crosby-Bell and fire authorities said.
“This major health threat deserves urgent action on all our parts,’’ Crosby-Bell said at the hearing.