7.11.2020 eMail to IAFF Executive Board
TO: jslevin@iaff.org NY/NJ, mwoolbright@iaff.org IA/ KS/ MO/NE, jcolbert@iaff.org MA/NH/ME/CT/RI, akpantelis@iaff.org DE/DC/MD/PA/WV/VA, tthornberg@iaff.org MN/ND/SD/WI, mcarter@iaff.org Alberta/British Columbia/Northwest Territory/Saskatchewan/Yukon, rwalsh@iaff.org AK/ID/MO/WA, msanders@iaff.org IL,IN,KY,MI,OH, rrahne@iaff.org CO/NV/UT/WY/OR, flima@iaff.org AZ,CA,NM,HI,Guam, smcghee@iaff.org OK/TX, wdix@iaff.org Carribean/FL/GA/NC/SC, fleblanc@iaff.org Manitoba/Ontario, dtodd@iaff.org AL/AR/LA/MS/TN, dburry@iaff.org New Brunswick/Newfoundland/Nova Scotia,/Prince Edward Island/Quebec, jjohnson@iaff.org All Federal Firefighters of the United States and Canada, ekelly@iaff.org GST.
UPDATE: 7.28.2020 On Saturday July 11th, this email was sent to the executive board of the IAFF. Monday, July 13th a Eboard meeting was held via internet. I was advised this memo was not taken up, and would not be taken up under the Schaitberger administration.
The charges here are very concerning.
Some would call it obstruction.
You should be demanding answers.
All,
Please take the 23 minutes required to read this article. It sums up our five years in this issue.
This article reveals who knew what, and when they knew it — both within, and outside of your organization, regarding the carcinogen PFOA in your turnout gear.
Diane Cotter
https://medium.com/@dianecotter/the-real-cancer-in-your-gear-epilogue-by-diane-cotter-3095c8174c1c
The Real Cancer in Your Gear…epilogue by Diane Cotter.
Jul 4 · 23 min read
You now have the long awaited manuscript from Dr Peaslee ~~~
Firefighters may download a copy of the study from Last Call Foundation here> https://www.lastcallfoundation.org/copy-of-events
It has gone through rigorous peer review from the most prestigious academic journal available to the US science community. Over the last year we would witness Dr Peaslee submit this study with updates and revisions as new information became available. What he has found in our opinion, is the proof to the answers we asked in 2015.
And.. while there.. throw in a donation .. PLEASE.. This would not of happened without LCF.
What if the PFOA ‘IS’ in the gear?
How long has it been ‘IN’ the gear?
Are we breathing it? Absorbing it? Ingesting it? Is it in the dust?
YES. YES to all the above..
Two outsiders.. Graham Peaslee and Rob Bilott have stepped in to do the work that the fire service institutions should have done for you.
Since 2016 Rob Bilott has been working to get funding from CDC/ATSDR to study firefighters. In 2017 before #DarkWaters, Rob Bilott has been demanding testing and studies for PFAS exposed firefighters from the EPA, CDC, ATSDR, and US Attorney General.
He’s now fighting the fight of his life. For every man woman and child who has PFAS in their blood. Fire Chief Kevin Hardwick v 3M, DuPont et al.. the sponsors of your IAFF Cancer Summit. Who deny any harm comes from their PFAS in your AFFF and your PPE.
Graham Peaslee, the nuclear physicist who has become a rock star to the fire service. Because he is approachable. Because he’s done what no one else has done. And he is 100% responsive 100 percent of the time. He’s found the truth. And he has many projects in the works for you. You’ll have your answers to dermal absorption and PFAS among other things.
So now what? Well now YOU must act. You have facts now.
I want to get back to my family. I’ve dedicated over 5 years to this issue. To a issue that never should have been in the hands of a fire-wife.
An urgent issue that should have been taken on by the IAFF the hour that Jason Burns — President of Fall River Local 1314 brought it to the attention of IAFF in DC in 2017. But, the IAFF was made aware in 2016 when I began emailing directly the findings of European Chemical Agency and the announcement that Europe was transitioning to non-PFOA PPE .
THE NOTRE DAME PRESS RELEASE AND STUDY :
Gear treated with ‘forever chemicals’ poses risk to firefighters
Firefighters face occupational hazards on a daily basis. Now, new research shows they face additional risk just by…
news.nd.edu
— download full study at www.lastcallfoundation.org —
THE STATION PRIDE ARTICLES
March 2017 — The Real Cancer in Your Gear
Septebmer 2017 — Fire Gear & PFOA — The Data
January 2018 — PFAS/PFOA UPDATE: Conference Call with IAFF
February 2018 — Fire Gear Laboratory Test Results
September 2018 — NBC Boston Investigates Fire Gear PFOA and Cancer
December 2018 — Unused Fire Gear PFAS Test Results Are “Thousands of Times Higher” than EPA Drinking Water Standards
October 2019 — Notre Dame University Pushes the Modern Fire Service to be Better.
Recognition.
Jon Marr. Editor of Station Pride. In 2017 I would send Jon a ridiculously long article.. he would pour over it for days and our discussions would go back and forth — ‘it’s too long Diane, and I have to fact check everything you’re saying’ ‘but if even a bit of it is true we need to know’.. Jon would meticulously fact check everything. He would then tell me that it’s much too long but he can’t take anything out. On March 28th, 2017 Jon would title the article “The Real Cancer in Your Gear” and publish it on Station Pride. We would watch as it was shared thousands of times.. and downloaded over 100,000 times.. and barely a comment was written.. it was as if the fleet was in shock. But without Jon Marr taking a chance I don’t know where we would be.
The REAL Cancer in Your Gear
My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer 27 months ago. The shock and awe of hearing, “yes, it is cancer” is the…
station-pride.com
Fire Chief Jeffrey Hermes.. who, without his bravery, we may still be looking for a hero to represent us.
Cancer concerns from our first responders
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — First it was chemicals in drinking water. Now, a local attorney is trying to find out if chemicals…
local12.com
Firefighter Jeff Knobbe … who, for 3 years has worked tirelessly on this issue. Only he and a select few know the lengths he has gone to for the fire service.
New Study on Firefighters and ‘Forever Chemicals’
Watch live here at 12PM ET Thursday 6/25: https://www.facebook.com/ewg.org/live/ A new study on firefighter gear…
www.facebook.com
Ricky Walsh — IAFF District 7 VP. Who, in 2018 did what was right. Not what was easy. First in the nation PFAS in PPE language.
Key Partner: Michael White, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters | Toxic-Free Future
Michael is a firefighter and the Legislative Liaison for the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters (WSCFF). WSCFF…
toxicfreefuture.org
A very special thank you to the many firefighters across the nation that reached out directly to Dr Peaslee.. to ask questions, to participate, to send pieces of their own gear. To secure him for speaking engagements and firefighter cancer speaking engagements. We hear so many wonderful things from you all about how relatable and genuine he is.
To the many mentors and friends who have taught me, put up with insane amounts of emails and messages,who tried with sincerity to persuade me to be more professional — to not swear and box at the world — (you know who you are) who I’m sure, at times believed I’d come unhinged.. to the locals and volunteers that wanted to publicly support but were afraid to for fear of retribution, and to the many followers that sent messages of support.. to our ‘forever friends’.. we are so grateful for all you have done for us. There were many days we had no desire to be a part of this. The cost was too much.. but the cost to not continue would have been greater, because — we knew more than we could say… we knew who and what was working to keep the truth from you.
To our friend in North Carolina… thank you Jeremy Henthorn… it literally began with your help.
To the science community who was always open and available to the questions of a frantic firewife. Thank you for always reaching back with answers and support and direction and ideas. And encouragement.
To Mick Tisbuy of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. You sir, are the epitome of courage. Of doing the right thing when no one is looking. Of not being a pawn of industry. Of placing the safety of your fleet above the affiliations with heavy -handed sponsorship and industry laden symposiums. We could learn a lot from you.
Foam contamination: firefighters must have blood tests, says commander
A Victorian fire commander leading the urban brigade’s response to the foam contamination scandal has called for…
www.theguardian.com
CAPITOL HILL :
THE ASK … We now demand our seat at the table. We want to know ‘who-knew-what-and-when-did they-know-it’.
Would any of you wear a coat and pants soaked in a known carcinogen while you worked in laborious conditions? No. Of course not. Didn’t think so.
Who will pay to replace our gear?
Is there any other occupation where men and women are required to wear a known carcinogen while they work? Is there any other occupational that has been so blindly engaged by industry hacked institutions that could gaslight firefighters into thinking their illnesses come only from ‘products of combustion’?
What recourse do we have for wearing a known carcinogen for 20 years?
Is this why firefighters get so many of the known PFAS cancers? Is this why cancer outranked heart attacks as the reason for firefighter deaths 20 years ago — the same time we began wearing PFOA in staggering amounts? What if it’s not the ‘toxic soot’ but the actual carcinogen used to make the gear?
Why are insurance and municipalities picking up the cost of cancer when DuPont, 3M, etc have not paid one dollar to a firefighter with cancer?
Who will start the penalty fund now by DuPont for firefighters with PFAS related cancers?
Have we been the pawns of a heinous design to hide staggering amounts of PFAS in turnout gear, while never saying a word? What will make us whole? That in fact, our gear held so much PFAS — that even after being used for ten years, would still meet NFPA 1971 Standards for water resistance? See how this works: Corporation makes item, Corporation takes voting role in only institution for safety, Corporation never discloses substance of very high concern, Corporation denies any health concerns even when their own studies find PFOA causes testicular tumors in lab animals. Corporation rakes in billions in profits of backs of America’s Bravest.
Who will pay for the studies and testing Attorney Robert Bilott is demanding for first responders? Congress must act to protect your bravest. Right now, these same corporations, who swear to have our back, who want us to believe their byline on firefighter cancer coming from products of combustion, have told Attorney Bilott that Fire Chief Kevin Hardwick’s PFOA serum may not be from their products. It could be from his dental floss.
We are calling on Capitol Hill to act immediately on our behalf. We do not have decades to navigate legal maneuvers.
What if,.. in 5 years, the studies that NIOSH is now doing, along with our 2 million dollar NIST study, that our cancers were in fact from our gear? Will corporations devise a way to split/merge/split to avoid restitution? But still show up at our firefighter trade shows selling us their new products?
We need a task force in place today. Enough is enough. National safe handling /storage / and disposal protocols. Extractors in every fire house. DuPont can pay for those at least to start.
Senators Jeanne Shaneen and Congressman Jim McGovern I have worked with you both for years on this issue.
Paul and I are now formally calling on you to act — to hold Senate and Congressional investigations — in addition to the laws you are actively working on. We need to know how this was allowed to go on for 20 plus years.
We’d like to ask you to lead the hearings please.
NFPA:
You are NOT a neutral organization. You may call yourself that. And, for a short time I believed it. I wanted to think you would act on this. You have not. I’ve sent dozens of emails and reports to you and asked for a TIA to immediately warn the fleet, while there was support from some, there would be no TIA. But, we would learn a PFAS task force was being activated. That was 2 years ago. I am on that committee. I don’t remember the last time we met. Some months or even a over a year ago.
I’m very concerned about the OEKO -Tek standard the NFPA wants to embrace on this. In my opinion, it’s useless. OEKO Tek 100 touts the 25ppb pfoa limit that is a industry compromise.
Q. What do I mean by ‘industry compromise’?
A. In 2014 the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) invited stakeholders to comment if they were in support of or opposed to the recommendation of PFOA limits in essential use textiles such as safety PPE and some medical devices.
Manufacturers wanted to ‘derogate’ your turnout gear altogether.
ECHA wanted to limit the use of PFOA to 2 ppb in firefighter turnout gear and 1ppm ‘precursor’. Manufactures responded that was impossible. They can only use C8 to make turnout gear water, stain, oil resistant. That the newer C6 will cost more. Manufacturers proposed they could work with 25 ppb PFOA and 1 ppm precursor. Nothing less. This was accepted and manufacturers are now using this to make you think this is a ‘safety standard’. It is nothing of the sort. It is a industry compromise. Even the newly highly regarded OEKO-Tex 100 standard being touted by NFPA and manufacturers uses this 25 ppb PFOA limit. This is useless to you now as OEKO-Tex does nothing in regards to the ‘newer short chains — the C6 and lower’. OEKO-Tex only has language for C8 and above, the same C8 manufacturers are claiming they no longer use. So what good is a standard that means nothing? It’s a tool some manufacturers will use to keep you feeling protected. Don’t buy it. Please. Your life may depend on it.
LABELING and INSTITUTIONS.
This could have saved us. But, manufacturers fought for and won the right to not put warning labels in your gear. They then took it to NFPA and voted it in.
I’m not saying that anyone other than DuPont (at this time -1996) knew about PFAS in turnout gear. But can you imagine the benefit to being a voting member of a safety committee and remaining mute about your own adverse health studies of the chemicals you are putting on a firefighters entire body.
The first 4 pages of this 1996 Report of Proposal details the discussion to remove ‘warning labels’ from turnout gear: https://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/1971/1971-F1996-ROC.pdf
They lobbied for and won the right to NOT place warning labels in your PPE. It is called ‘The Liability Bill’ and is proudly posted on their history page. https://www.femsa.org/whois_femsa/history/
During this time, DuPont knew it was being investigated for PFOA. So while the FEMSA supports many FF cancer research programs, it is silent on PFOA. The manufacturers DuPont/Honeywell sit on NFPA as voting members of #1971, while they are and were aware of the toxin PFOA, and while they were aware the European Union was removing it from your PPE. They were notified in 2006 by ECHA. Not once did they bring this subject up as a matter of concern.
This issue came to light for Paul and I in 2016 when it was learned that in Europe their fire industry was preparing to transition to non-PFOA
PPE.http://www.hemmingfire.com/.../PPE___Duty_of_Care_Forum... The European Chemical Agency or ECHA requires that by 2020 PPE must not have more than 25 ppb PFOA. This is higher than the 2 ppb ECHA wanted but manufacturers said it was impossible for them to work with those numbers. The manufacturers of PPE wanted to strike (derogate) FF PPE from the standards altogether. Essentially leaving FF gear out of the safety net ECHA set up. https://echa.europa.eu/.../61e81035-e0c5-44f5-94c5...
To MANUFACTURERS.
To those that have come to the table wanting to develop and have developed PFAS free turnout gear for firefighters, We commend you.
We have heard from Lakeland, Safety Components, and hear of others that are now working to make turnout gear PFAS free. This is admirable work. This is the way to gain our trust. To advise firefighters to mitigate against products of combustion, and to then tell us that the ‘trace amounts of PFOA aren’t a concern, and that the new ‘replacement C6 is ten times less toxic’ is an insult.
I would encourage firefighters to only support publicly held companies that are providing you with PFAS free material.
You now have the proof that your own gear contains PFOA. From the precursor Et-FOSE that will oxidize into PFOA — in hours to days.
Science Community.
HELP. We are held hostage by the corporations that own our institutions. 3M, DuPont, Lion, Gore, Honeywell, etc.. are our sponsors, that our labor and safety standards are ‘seminar-ing’ with, that have done so for 20 years now. The deniers of our issue have built relationships with our fire institutions.
To the IAFF
Gen President Schaitberger embarked on a campaign of silence and denial beginning in March of 2017 when Fall River Local 1314 President Jason Burns would bring this to his attention during legislation week. Jason would wait weeks for a response. His numerous attempts to have the DC office act would go unresponsive. One day, out of the blue , without notice Jason would receive a call from 5 members of the DC office. It was a conference call he was unaware of. While only he can tell you what was said on that call he was told he’d receive notes of the discussion. That never happened, even after numerous efforts by Jason to acquire them.
In 2017 Pat Morrison would publish the first IAFF Statement on PFOA in PPE.
Pat told us he was going to reword the statement. That never happened.
In June of 2017 I would receive this message from a member :
Well. Here I was wondering if you were a crazy person, until I find myself at an NFPA conference where IAFF is talking about exposure to flame retardants, and doesn’t say a word about PFOA. I’m thinking maybe it’s not even a real thing. The first question from the audience was whether they have tested our gear. Matt Vinci from IAFF’s whole demeanor changed, he got a little quieter and said something to the effect of “We’ve looked at PFOA’s in turnout gear and the results were inconclusive.” the person asking the question never said “PFOA” but it was right on the tip of Matt’s tongue. A noncommittal answer with no follow up on when/if they were going to test our turnouts.
After posting this article in October 2018, I would receive a call from a state president stating his membership would no longer attach themselves to me. To this day all communication with this state has ceased, and labor leaders were advised not to associate with my husband, a 27 year IAFF member and myself.
In 2017 I would begin outreach to IAFC.. calls and emails. Finally, in 2018 after one call with a leading member who said ‘IAFF calls the shots’. I decided it was futile to try to get any other organization to take the lead. That IAFF had supreme control.
In 2018 IAFF would again publish the same statement. No changes. While working with Capitol Hill to abolish PFOA and PFOS IN AFFF — the IAFF would barely skim across the discussion of PFOA and PFOS in turnout gear, but acknowledge it was in ‘certain legacy turnout gear’ in this publication and letter from Harold on page 5.
What I would realize in 2018 was that IAFF ‘s Pat Morrison was being told to water this down, to walk it back, to skim it lightly with hope and concern but to not own it.. to not share with the fleet what he knew. I knew what he knew, and I knew he was not telling the fleet the danger they were in. Only he can answer if that order came from Schaitberger.
While wringing hands and waiting for ‘science’ Pat would use Lion Gear’s exact language to explain PFAS in turnout gear. EXACT LANGUAGE. That wold happen on Jan 21st during this video: How do I know this? Because on Jan 23rd Lion Gear’s Andy Schwartz would fly to a fire house in Northern Cali to use the exact same language with our PPE expert Jeff Knobbe. Volleyballs and tennis-balls ‘they won’t hurt you’. And, during that meeting where Jeff asked to see the ‘Lion Study’ a call would come in from a third party, Dr Paul Chrostowski. Who would ‘educate’ Jeff on PFAS. Jeff Knobbe has been attached to Graham Peaslee at the hip for almost 3 years now. He needs no education from a paid consultant.
The study that IAFF supported was from a paid consultant group. Exponent. That’s who Lion contracted to do their study AND THAT IS WHO THE IAFF CHOSE TO SIDE WITH.
Read what Dr David Michaels — Director of OSHA for 9 years has to say about Exponent in his new book ‘Doubt Is Their Product’ :
David Michaels
About This Author David Michaels, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and professor at the George Washington University…
bostonreview.net
I address my exasperation in this February 2020 email directly to Pat Morrison and others within the IAFF:
“ I take strong exception to the message you are sending the fleet. There is an abundance of evidence of short chain PFAS and side chain PFAS are both a route of exposure, as well as a cause of adverse health effects.
The dialogue of ‘manufacturers no longer use PFOA or C8 is simply archaic at this point.
It does NOT go far enough in warning the fleet or the replacements and precursors that are forming C8. It is a lie by omission. While you state IAFF is looking at ‘everything’ your message to the fleet lacks direction, concern, and void of the precautionary principle.
In your video of Jan 21st it states that PFAS is absorbed by AFFF.
Omitting completely the PFAS in PPE exposure. It is a missed opportunity to warn thefleet of the PFAS in their gear. And, that dermal exposure is a known route of exposure.
10.42 mm https://www.facebook.com/IAFFonline/videos/167741317828229/UzpfSTE4MDg4Njk5Mzk0MzcwODE6MjU2MTEyNjU1MDg3ODA3OQ/
You are also not disclosing that you are aware the PFAS is forming PFOA as you were advised by Dr Peaslee during our conference call last year. And, that the dust is also an issue.
Please be advised also that the 25 ppb PFOA limit that Lion Gear is touting in their statement as ‘safe’… is not ‘safe’. It was an industry compromise that arose from the stakeholder comments
of ECHA ‘s transition to non-PFOA PPE. OKEO-TEX is now using that as their ‘magic number’ that has zero support from a ‘health’ perspective. (attachment beginning page 37).”
2019 — Trying to warn the leaders in the fire service:
In March of 2019 our LCF committee would hold a conference call with approximately 40 leaders in the fire service. The intent was to prepare them for the test results of Dr Peaslee’s study. On that call were Larry Petrick and Pat Morrison. Dr Peaslee told everyone he found PFOA in everything except one 2017 moisture barrier. He found PFOA in every set of PPE for 20 years. He would explain he was concerned about the dust. He would explain that he has found a precursor that FORMS PFOA IN HOURS TO DAYS. So your H&S Officer knew. He reported back to Schaitberger and the order was given to stand down.
2019 would bring an allegiance between Lion Gear
An American Sweatshop
The women at the Lion Apparel factory in Beattyville, Kentucky, are part of a largely female workforce of 15,000…
www.motherjones.com
(someone please tell Mark Boal about the shenanigans Lion is up to now..)…
and IAFF. For that I’d need a whole new article but you may read the IAFF/LION articles here:
Debunking the Industry Spin on PFAS in Your GEAR
2.10.2020 e-Mail to Pat Morrison, Assistant to GP Internatinoal Association of Fire Fighters
When Industry Owns Labor
What is the Industry Saying ?
The biggest shock would come from #RobertBilott ‘s book, #Exposure on page 174 … “They knew that PFOA could permeate all protective materials eventually, ….
and.. IN 1980 DuPont KNEW PFOA WOULD PERMEATE PPE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5SNuLo6tGg
This past week our study was published.. Immediately the calls messages about lawsuits began. Paul’s cancer was diagnosed in 2014. So we have no opportunity for a lawsuit — even though we had to go to the extreme length to commission and fund a study ourselves to determine the chemicals in the gear as industry would not tell us. But, to those that have asked us about lawyers, please speak to Rob Bilott first. Let him help you find lawyers that may be able to help you. We spent a lot of time speaking to lawyers in 2015/2016/2017 who were not educated on this family of chemicals and it cost us precious time. Don’t make that mistake. Reach out to Rob please.
If an undetectable amount of PFOA can grow a pancreatic tumor on a rodent.. why are we not urgently instituting safe handling protocols? Why are we talking about mitigating risks and ignoring this?
This is the PFAS expert — Dr Philippe Grandjean — 30 years in the PFAS study arena… https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/curbing-the-use-of-forever-chemicals/
All of these years we would plead with IAFF to ask Graham Peaslee to be the speaker at the IAFF Cancer Summit. Responses went unanswered. Last year, before the summit we’d receive word from a trusted source that some manufacturers at the summit were misrepresenting Graham’s work.
We would also receive word from a source that one professional, was flown here to be a speaker for the PFAS portion of the cancer summit, who is heavily invested in PFAS in PPE research, was benched and not allowed to speak.
You tell me somethings not wrong here.
As you can see here THE IAFF WALKS both sides of the fence.. the goal was to look like they were involved but to support only the study from Lion Gear..
Days before the announcement of the 2 million dollar NIST procured by Senator Jeanne Shaheen I would ask if IAFF was aware. They were not but they would be notified and asked if they would support. I would receive word that they said they would support. I was honored in NH by Senator Shaheen for this effort. IAFF was asked if they would attend. They said they had no one to send.
January 2020 I would witness IAFF steal out from under me the greatest co-achievement of my life. Please understand. It wasn’t like they had ‘some’ input. They had zero input. ZERO. But here you see the credit they took..
Speaking of Lion.. Lion would go so far as to send a letter to the President of Notre Dame.. with the airing of ‘Fighting to Protect the Brave’ … ‘complaining’ that Dr Peaslee wasn’t a ‘textile expert’..
Notre Dame responded “well.. he’s a nuclear physicist sooooo…”
Fighting to Protect the Brave // What Would You Fight For? // University of Notre Dame
Diane Cotter knew cancer was a risk of her husband’s job. Paul had been a firefighter for 27 years, and they had been…
fightingfor.nd.edu
And… in the ‘conniving and dirty tricks department’…Last year.. Lion propositioned the cornerstone member of our ‘Committee to Research Chemical Coatings in Turnout Gear’ with an offer to ‘make a job’ for said individual.. hummm that might come with a NDA? Yes? ….
Lion would also disclose to a member of our team that they knew of a fire station dust study..that they saw the results.. but that dust study should not have been known to a manufacturer… so how they had it is curious.
The ‘PFAS dust study 8 firehouse and one PPE lab’ came about in August 2018 when Dr Peaslee would visit a Boston Fire house..
In 2020 Lion would publish this article which reads like a lame attack on a consummate professional.
Research and Independent Testing Shows Firefighters’ Turnout Gear Remains Safe Despite Claims …
By Paul Chrostowski, Ph.D., QEP Paul Chrostowski, Ph.D., QEP is an environmental health scientist with more than 40…
firerescuemagazine.firefighternation.com
Problem is.. Dr Paul Chrostowski worked for the Weinberg Group for 6 years.. This is the group that offered to craft this spin for DuPont about PFOA .. he’s into ‘risk management for dirty deed doers’.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2289501-weinberg-memo.html
In 2020 there would be an IAFF meeting in DC about ‘Mrs Cotter’.. what to do about that wife…. We heard one manufacturer thought it was wonderful that IAFF was planning a meeting about the woman that was saying terrible things about the industry, about the IAFF president.
IAFF has control over all the conversations the fleet hears. One leader dictates the conversation. The IAFC, NVFC and NFPA all bow to the IAFF. That’s my opinion, and, it is what insiders have told me. So if that leader is in bed with the corporations that are using you to inflate their pps, how is that working for your health?
PPS. let’s talk about that for a moment..
Lion is a privately held company.. 232 million a year
DuPont is public… they rake in 21 BILLION A YEAR …
W.L. Gore — Private .. 3.7 Billion.
The days of telling firefighters to mitigate products of combustion but not to worry about the known carcinogen are OVER.
IAFF continued:
Harold Schaitberger has known about this issue since 2016 and formally in 2017 by Jason Burns President Local 1314.
Only last week — LITERALLY HOURS BEFORE THE STUDY WOULD BE PUBLISHED .. did Pat Morrison call Dr Peaslee. 172 WEEKS INTO THE ISSUE. We suspect that is because the IAFF sees the writing on the wall. But if a housewife with barely a 12th grade education and a expired hairdresser’s licence could see something was wrong in 2015, after reading one REPORT … why has it taken this long, with this much angst and fight to get action?
During this call , Dr Peaslee admonished Pat for taking credit for the 2 million dollar study.. I’m so grateful for that. I’ve had my fill of being shunned, disregarded, copied, omitted and used.
Will IAFF do the right thing ? What about the sponsorship’s of your cancer summit? How about your manufacturesr set up a fund for firefighters with cancer to the tune of 10 billion dollars. So that if you get cancer you don’t lose your insurance or your job or your home. After all, PPE is a 52 billion dollar a year global business expected to reach 92 BILLION —
And… as in this IAFF WINTER 2020 publication… ‘incentives’ play a BIG PART in your PPE world…
On June 23rd at 8am our study was released..
on June 24th the IAFF released this statement. Acknowledging Dr Graham Peaslee.. finally… FINALLY..
But.. I must protest. Because this is the weakest most politically correct wish washy statement on the most alarming study of 20 years worth of new and decommissioned turnout gear I can fathom. Where is your call to action? Your demands to manufacturers .. your demands to Capitol Hill?
MAKE NO MISTAKE IAFF… THIS IS NO … ‘TOOL’.. THIS IS YOUR PROOF.. YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYED A FOOL.. AT THE EXPENSE OF YOUR FLEET.
Where is the outrage? Where is the plan? It’s not like the IAFF hasn’t known. I’ve been hounding them since 2015.
Who to look to ?
Chief Bobby Halton. Bobby will direct the fire service to the future. He will navigate the truth for you and keep you informed with data so that you may have access to independent studies.
He took the integrity mantle by asking Dr Peaslee to speak at FDIC IN 2019 and again in 2020.. and doing this; MARCH 28, 2020.. and by inviting Dr Graham Peaslee and Environmental Attorney Robert Bilott to speak at FDIC 2021 … TALK ABOUT STEERING THE SHIP INTO THE FUTURE.
And to Frank Ricci — President, New Haven Fire Fighters.
THANK YOU Frank — for acknowledging me so publicly. And for the profound compliment. Thank you Sir.
Humpday Hangout: Cancer-Causing Toxins and Your Firefighter PPE
Learn how your protective equipment may be negatively impacting you and what you can and should be doing to reduce the…
www.fireengineering.com
And to Ed Kelly. Should Ed Kelly run for President of the IAFF he will have my full support. I believe he is the only person who can right the ship now.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=273735597176405
It was never my intention to get in your IAFF politics.. never. I simply wanted the people in charge to do the right thing. That never happened. Now I have seen how your ship works under the leadership of Schaitberger. It’s deplorable, from an outsider looking in who receives messages from across the nation from firefighters relaying their GP Schaitberger concerns and incidences to me, an outsider, thinking I can do something about it because insiders can do nothing, I’m telling the entire world what I know about this issue. The issue of PFOA in your turnout gear. And who in your own institution knew what, and when they knew it.
You must find a way to NEVER let this happen again.
I was right about PFOA in your gear.
I was right about your manufacturers lying to you, of using industry language to keep you confused and uneducated on the issue, while hiding in your IAFF cancer summit and your NFPA.
I was right about your President hiding the facts from you.
I leave you with this statement from nuclear physicist Dr Graham Peaslee …
“Turnout gear, he says, contains “the most highly fluorinated textiles I’ve ever seen.”
Protective gear could expose firefighters to PFAS
Firefighters face dangers beyond the blaze itself. Their work subjects them to carcinogens from burning materials, as…
cen.acs.org
UPDATE ** OCTOBER 2020 ***
24 active and retired firefighters in Santa Clara County, CA have filed a lawsuit against 20+ chemical companies and manufacturers over #PFAS exposure from firefighting foam and firefighter turnout gear. We believe this marks the first PFAS lawsuit that includes damages from turnout gear, which is HUGE!
We have a feeling that the work of Dr. Graham Peaslee and his findings of PFAS in turnout gear as well as the alarm bells that
have been sounding for years, has impacted how departments are looking at these toxic chemical exposures. READ CASE FILING HERE: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f15ece4888a7d47c1fe34bf/t/5f79ee2dc8f18a2d03382f73/1601826354294/200911_AFFF_Complaint.FILED_ENDORSED.pdf
Q. What is next for Mrs Cotter…
A. I’m writing a book. We have a story to tell.. #GreatestDeceptionEver
Always,
Mrs Cotter