All,
A Polk County (Florida) Fire Rescue ambulance was involved in a fatal crash Tuesday morning in Winter Haven while responding to an emergency call. A woman, 83, was leaving her community and attempted to turn north onto a roadway. She crossed into the path of the southbound ambulance with its lights and sirens engaged. The vehicles collided. Polk County Fire Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
When additional fire rescue units arrived on scene, two PCFR crew members inside the ambulance were injured and taken to a local hospital. They were treated for minor injuries and later released. The driver of the third vehicle was not injured.
IAFF / NFPA Lawsuit-Here is an update from the IAFF:
On Oct. 6, 2025, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) jointly filed a stipulation of dismissal in the Suffolk County Superior Court’s Business Litigation Session, formally concluding the litigation between the two organizations. The IAFF’s lawsuit, filed in 2023, focused on its efforts to eliminate PFAS from the protective gear worn by fire fighters across North America. Research over the last five years (1,2) has found PFAS in all three layers of fire fighter protective gear – chemicals linked to cancer and other serious health effects. Growing evidence from independent organizations, including the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, has intensified concerns about the risks PFAS pose to fire fighters and the public. NFPA Standard 1971 – which sets minimum protection levels for fire fighters – resulted in the use of PFAS in the middle moisture barrier of fire fighters’ gear to satisfy the UV light degradation test.
The IAFF filed suit after earlier attempts to remove the UV light test through the NFPA’s official processes proved unsuccessful. During the pendency of the lawsuit, the IAFF continued to advocate before the NFPA to eliminate those parts of the standards that resulted in the presence of toxins in fire fighter PPE. In a significant milestone for fire fighter safety, the NFPA Standards Council issued the 2025 edition of NFPA 1970: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Firefighting, Work Apparel, Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) – changes long advocated for by the IAFF.
“Our objective was to remove PFAS and other toxins from fire fighter protective gear,” said IAFF General President Edward Kelly. “Ultimately, the IAFF and NFPA have worked together toward this outcome, and we value their shared commitment to ensuring the highest standards of protection for the fire service and for our communities across North America. The primary objective of the lawsuit has been realized, and the IAFF Executive Board has directed our lawyers to end the litigation.”
NFPA’s new standard for structural fire fighter gear now includes:
- TIA No. 1791, which changes the UV light degradation test to better reflect real-world conditions, which, in turn, may expand the use of PFAS-free moisture barriers by turnout gear manufacturers;
- TIA No. 1792, which establishes voluntary labeling criteria to identify turnout gear that has been tested and shown to have a PFAS, or total fluorine concentration, of no more than 100 ppm; and
- TIA No. 1793, which creates a Restricted Substances List limiting specific PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, in structural firefighting gear. This TIA took effect on Sept. 18, 2025.
The IAFF will continue working with the NFPA, independent scientists, policymakers, and manufacturers to ensure that next-generation protective gear eliminates PFAS and other harmful substances while providing fire fighters the protection and performance they need on the fire ground.
Take Care. Be Careful. Pass it On.
BillyG
The Secret List 10/9/2025 1435 Hours
