Four local volunteer fire departments now have access to a special washer and dryer designed to clean harmful chemicals and other residue from their fire-fighting equipment. Companies in Harman, Whitmer, Canaan Valley and Davis welcomed the arrival of the new equipment last week, marking the end of a two-year effort.
Firefighters face any number of dangers when fighting fires and responding to other emergencies, including exposure to toxic and cancer-causing carcinogens. These chemicals can contaminate personal protective equipment (PPE), including the distinctive, heavy “bunker gear,” leaving a lethal legacy long after the call.
To help reduce long-term health risks, PPE must be cleaned regularly without compromising the safety properties of its high-tech construction. This typically requires more water and a gentler cycle than most washing machines, along with a way to capture and hold any chemicals released during the cleaning process. Special units, known as “washer-extractors,” paired with heated drying cabinets, are designed to deep clean gear quickly, safely and efficiently.
In 2020, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) updated its standards for cleaning PPE, requiring all fire departments to deep clean equipment twice a year, rather than once, and whenever it is exposed to smoke and other contaminants. Additionally, the NFPA requires that PPE cleaning be done either in-house or by a verified service provider.
Both options create challenges for volunteer departments balancing the need to comply with the regulations against having enough PPE on hand and ready to go. No local department had the budget to buy a washer-extractor and dryer. And no verified service provider exists within the state of West Virginia or within a 3-hour drive of Tucker County.
To find a solution, a small team from the Canaan Valley Volunteer Fire Department (CVVFD) approached other VFDs in the area to gauge interest in a project to buy the necessary equipment and share it. A partnership was formed between CVVFD, Davis VFD, and the neighboring Randolph County fire companies in Whitmer and Harman, and a decision was made to pursue grant funding for the new equipment.
The CVVFD team took the lead in coordinating with partners and preparing and submitting grant proposals designed to tap local, community and state funding opportunities. A grant from the Oakland Foundation in mid-2020 primed the pump for other grants, including from Tucker Community Foundation and the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office.
With the money pieced together, the equipment was ordered in July 2021. The four participating fire departments signed an MOU outlining the shared responsibilities for using and maintaining the equipment, which was delivered and installed at the CVVFD on Feb. 25, almost two years to the day since work on the project began.
CVVFD Chief Robert Metzger was delighted to have the new machines up and running. “This would not have been possible without the support of a lot of different groups and organizations,” Metzger said. “I know I speak for the Chiefs in Davis, Harman and Whitmer in thanking the Oakland Foundation, the Tucker Community Foundation and the State Fire Marshal’s Office for helping to make this happen. And I would like to give a special shout-out to Aimee Verdisco, our very own Company 30 grant-writing guru, who worked on this from conception to delivery and did an outstanding job in coordinating all the moving parts. This may not seem like the most exciting equipment in the fire house, but it is absolutely essential for the safety and well-being of our teams.”