Dirty fire gear does not make you a hardcore Jake

     Want to know something that really grinds my gears.... Dirty fire gear. A couple months ago my department had three guys finish the fire acadmy recruit program. The last two weeks of the program involves live burns so your bunker gear gets filthy by the end of it. Evolution after evolution of humping hose through the sludge of water, soot, and straw that builds up on the floors. After these guys started doing their ride along time after they graduated I had to constantly tell them to wash thier gear. They didn't understand why I kept saying it. They thought I was just being a obsessive compulsive or something like that. Finally one day one of them asked be what my problem with dirty gear was so I told him.

     One of the main reasons to keep you're fire gear clean is carcinogens. We all know that firefighters have a high risk of occupational cancer. When a house burns these days its not just the wood and other natural fibers burning like 50 years ago. Everything these days is made of plastic and that stuff is terrible for you. The  amount of hazordus chemicals off gassed during a building fire is ridiculous. Of we could also be fighting a fire in an old building that has asbestos in it. All that bad stuff will stick to or absorb into your fire gear and stay there unless you wash it. And if you don't wash it, you wear your gear and the bad stuff can get into your cloths and you can take those carcinogens home to your family.

     Another reason to always keep your gear clean is for public apperance. You go to a fire and get covered in soot and then your gear looks cool, right? If you then wear your gear on a rescue call to someones house or go into someones house for a fire call you risk getting dirt and grim all over other peoples stuff. Nothing will piss off a tax payer more then ruining their nice white carpets and that tax payer will remember that at the next town meeting when your dept needs more money.

Please just take the time to wash your gear atleast ever six months. I wash mine every six months at a minimum or I wash it whenever I have been on a call that makes me think it needs cleaning.