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Fire Station Workgroup

A determined-looking firefighter walks away from a cluster of firetrucks, loaded with equipment and holding a pole and electronic device

Fire Station Workgroup

Mission

 

To serve as a liaison between the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), and to educate and inform the Michigan fire service on proper training protocols and coordinate the removal of Class B Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) containing PFAS.

This workgroup is led by LARA and includes staff from EGLE and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  The original mission of this workgroup was to identify fire departments that use and store Class B AFFF, which is known to contain PFAS.  Early on, this workgroup identified several needs:

  1. Best practices for when foam should be used;
  2. A requirement that all fire fighters who use Class B AFFF report it to a central location; and
  3. Ongoing education about PFAS in AFFF

Contact

Kevin Sehlmeyer
State Fire Marshal

Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)

Accomplishments

Next Steps

  • The Fire Station Workgroup will continue to provide guidance and information to the fire service on how to select a replacement fluorine-free Class B AFFF.
  • The State Fire Marshal will continue to track training conducted by firefighters via the video.

Research/Studies

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been testing Class B AFFF that are fluorine-free foams. This Workgroup will stay apprised of that testing and other AFFF research, including efforts by the Department of Defense to develop “PFAS free” (which by DoD is defined as containing less than 1 ppb total fluorine) Milspec AFFF.

Timeline of Accomplishments

  • Spring of 2019: A statewide survey was conducted of 780 fire departments to determine the inventory of Class B AFFF and past use of AFFF. As of June 10, 2020, approximately 77% of the fire departments responded to the survey and 45% of those that responded said they had AFFF. The total reported was 38,713 gallons.
  • June 2019: The workgroup began disseminating a poster to every fire station in Michigan on the proper way to report the use of Class B AFFF and for reporting the use of Class B AFFF to the EGLE Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS), 1-800-292-4706.
  • December 2019: AFFF pick-up and disposal program started.
  • Firefighting Foam page was developed. 
  • In 2019, the Fire Station Workgroup began reaching out to organizations outside the Michigan fire service--groups such as emergency management, law enforcement, and 911 dispatch associations--to determine options for fire departments to replace their 8-chain Class B AFFF. Our goal is to help the fire service make a transition to a Class B AFFF that is both effective in suppressing class B fires and has no negative effect on the environment.
  • On July 8, 2020, House Bill 4389 became Public Act 132 of 2020, requiring:
    • Immediately after the end of a fire or other incident at which an organized fire department uses firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS, the fire chief shall report the incident to the Michigan pollution emergency alert system.
    • EGLE to establish a collection program for firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS and establish guidelines for the program.
  • On July 8, 2020, House Bill 4390 became Public Act 133 of 2020, which prohibits and requires the fire marshal to develop training.  Towards this, in fiscal year 2021 EGLE and LARA began work on a firefighter training video focused on PFAS.
  • September 2020: AFFF pick-up program ended. Over 51,000 gallons were collected for proper disposal.
  • In September 2021, members of the Fire Station Workgroup attended tests being done by Dow Chemical to find an alternative to class B AFFF.
  • On September 24, 2021 Round 1 of AFFF pickup closed with 51,399 gallons collected
  • In December 2021 phase 2 collections began. A total of 16,270 gallons collected to day has been collected.
  • In total, 67,670 gallons of AFFF have been picked up through the EGLE foam collection program.
  • It is expected that with the approval of Military Spec PFAS free material, the focus of the collection will switch to airports.
    • The AFFF collection program will continue until funding is exhausted.
  • In April 2022, MPART, EGLE, and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) commented on the Department of Defense proposed Military Specification (Milspec) for AFFF containing less than 1 part per billion.
  • In April 2022, MPART completed production the “Michigan Firefighter Class B AFFF Training” video and posted the video on YouTube. All firefighters in the state of Michigan are required to view the training video which emphasizes:
    • Michigan law prohibits training with AFFF containing PFAS.
    • AFFF containing PFAS should only be used for life safety measures which involve aircraft fires, tanker fires, and barrels containing alcohol-based products.
    • If AFFF containing PFAS is used, the fire chief or incident commander must make a notification immediately to the Pollution Emergency Alert System (PEAS): 800-292-4706
    • Firefighters should take steps to protect themselves from exposure to AFFF containing PFAS.
    • Clean-up where a spill occurred is important to protecting health and the environment.
    • As of September 2023, the video had over 12,000 views.
    • Access to the video: Michigan Firefighter Class B AFFF Training