Overview
- First shipments have arrived, with roughly 80 sets already in use and 1,100 total sets slated for frontline firefighters by Dec. 31.
- The purchase is backed by a $2.35 million FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant with department matching funds, and the city added a $500,000 cancer screening program.
- Fire-Dex manufactures the new turnouts using Milliken's Assure non-PFAS, flame-resistant moisture barrier, a component that enabled a fully fluorine-free system.
- The gear is UL certified, meets NFPA 1971-2018 and 1971-2025 standards, and passed a 90-day wear trial with 50 SFFD firefighters in live-fire training.
- San Francisco’s 2024 PFAS ban and California’s new statewide law set the policy backdrop, while reports of PFAS found in some replacements elsewhere and research on performance trade-offs underscore the need for ongoing verification.