health & safety firegeezer on 30 May 2008 12:42 pm
Toxins In Fire Retardants?
A NEW CONTROVERSY IS BEING GINNED UP ABOUT the possibility of long-term toxins being a part of the mandatory fire retardents found in clothing and bedding.
Last week CBS News ran a special report on the issue and brought up the fact that some states have outlawed the use of one of them known as DECA.
You can view the CBS News 3:54 min. report here:
Bill Delaney of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire and Rescue Department is the editor of Washington Metro Area Fire & Injury Prevention WEBSITE. He has just pointed out to us that an area-wide mailing promoting the positive side of DECA is being received by his county’s citizens.
This oppositional information is being distributed by and organization that calls itself Citizens for Fire Safety (CFFS) and they have a nice website HERE that furthers their position with examples and testimonials. They also have a lot of information about flame retardant materials.
The website’s About Us page tells us that they are “a coalition of fire professionals, educators, burn centers, doctors, fire departments and industry leaders, united to ensure that our country is protected by the highest standards of fire safety.” None of these fire departments and industry leaders are listed by name.
Bill informs us that CFFS is a lobbying group for the chemical industry that was organized to fight the passage of these proposed state legislations.
As far as I have observed (which isn’t very far) the fire and rescue service itself hasn’t come out one way or the other on this fresh issue. Take a look at the two extreme viewpoints, the CBS report and the CFFS website and then decide where in the middle is there anything to be found?
Thanks to Bill Delaney for pointing this out to us.
on 04 Jun 2008 at 3:03 pm 1.Stephenie Hendricks said …
Citizens for Fire Safety is a chemical industry group pretending to be grassroots - promoting deca - a brominated flame retardant linked to memory loss, neurological problems, thyroid disease and liver problems and other illness among firefighters. Here’s the page on the International Association of Firefighters’ website where they call for a ban in Canada on this toxic stuff: http://www.iaff.org/Canada/Updates/IAFF_PBDE_02112007.
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In November 2006, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published an analysis of 32 studies that found that fire fighters have significantly elevated rates of four types of cancer: multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancer. Right now, firefighters in Queensland, Australia have a cancer cluster, and the flame retardants in their safety clothing reportedly is suspected as the cause.
I am outraged that the bromine chemical industry is exploiting fire fighters to keep their profits high from sales of this toxic chemical that is very probably contributing to making firefighters sick!
on 28 Aug 2008 at 1:50 pm 2.david said …
Those dirty bastard chemical companies. The must be republicans.