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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on February 22, 2011 at 8:50am

Nothing bullyish about your reply. I appreciate the concern and you've given me something to think about there. Right now I have zero patient contact since I am not a Certified First Responder. The only exception to that rule would be if I was at the scene before the medics or a firefighter who was a CFR and had to apply pressure to control bleeding or something of that nature. I haven't encountered that situation yet so It's not an issue now. Most of the time if I do end up getting close enough to the vehicle to have patient contact I'll be wearing bunker gear anyway.

As I move on and get my CFR and begin to have patient contact I'll have to reconsider storage of that coat. Thanks for the advice.

Eric

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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on February 22, 2011 at 8:53am

Todd, You're correct, it is a non-turnout jacket. My primary reason for purchasing it was visibility in the roadway in scenarios where I am not in turnouts such as doing traffic control. On the one side it's flourescent yellow and blood would show up easy, on the reverse it's black and might be a little harder to see.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Carlisle on February 22, 2011 at 9:17am

What a great post , after reading about fires, bus accidents, etc etc ,this was really refreshing, and every little bit of support from family helps us all keep doing our job,even if it is the wife telling me to drive safe and be careful, those words alone make me be as safe as i can and come home to her.

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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on February 22, 2011 at 3:11pm

Good for you. Kids are great.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on February 22, 2011 at 4:48pm

Part of your story is heart warming and a fun read for those out there, including myself that are in the dad mode. However, the component of your story where you describe your PPE, hanging inside your house that prompted me to note that while this may be a commonplace ritual for volunteer firefighters, the potential exists for secondary contamination, even when dealing with very tiny, non-detectable things.

The key difference here between children and adults getting exposed to anything is that we are done growing. That's pretty much it... Impacts from chemicals, bloodborne pathogens, etc. on a child needs to be thought more along the lines of your child not being a child but a small biological unit with multiply dividing cells at a phenomenal rate. If you doubt this, just go away for a couple of weeks on a campaign fire and return to see your kids changed somehow...

It's tiny exposures over a period of time that are just as dangerous if not more so when children are exposed to anything. I shudder when I see a well meaning parent letting their child help them pump gas. The child not only gets dermal exposure but also, at head level, is breathing in the vapors and invisible mists associated with fuel dispensing.

There's tons of stuff out there now on the internet, and yes, this is much different that hanging your PPE in your living room but... if you were able to speed up the time process, little exposures to anything foreign is not a good thing. I share this with you because you love your kids and often times, folks do things because no one ever told them otherwise. I care about you and your kids, and others reading this post. I hope you don't take offense to what I am sharing here brother. It's pure risk verses benefit in my mind and it's never worth risking a child's health, regardless.

Benzene and the link with Childhood Leukemia

A strong correlation between childhood leukemia and proximity to gas stations, refineries and automobile traffic has been established by multiple research studies.

France’s national research institute recently published a study of 280 children with acute leukemia. Two-thirds of these children were 2-6 years old when diagnosed. The study found that children living near gas stations were four times more likely to have contracted leukemia. These children were seven times more likely to contract Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Children living for longer periods near a gas station experienced higher rates of leukemia.

Another study in England tracking 22,458 children who died from leukemia or solid cancers found that higher rates of childhood leukemia is associated with living near distributors and industrial users of petroleum products.

A Journal of Occupational Medicine published in 1984 study found that infants whose fathers work at gas stations, a high-exposure occupation, have a higher observed susceptibility to develop acute leukemia. Compared to children of unexposed fathers, children whose fathers were occupationally exposed to benzene and alcohols used in industrial products were nearly 6 times as likely to develop leukemia if the exposure occurred prior to the pregnancy.

Exposure in proximity to gasoline service stations

According to OSHA, the legal exposure limit for breathing benzene is 1ppm in an 8-hour period and 5ppm in any 15 minute period. Exposure to benzene at gas stations can range from 1 – 32 ppm. Gasoline station workers and their families are at risk for exposure to benzene. Customers of gasoline service stations may be significantly exposed even within the confines of their vehicle. People who live in proximity to gasoline service stations are also at risk. Residential exposure has been observed at levels of up to 6.6 parts per billion (ppb) in outdoor areas that are in close proximity to gasoline service stations.

Families living near gas stations or other petroleum product industries can experience long-term effects without ever having short-term effects because repeated long-term effects can occur at levels not high enough to make you immediately sick. This is especially true for children or people who are already ill.

One recent study showed that when gas stations use benzene vapor recovery equipment, attendants have reduced post-shift automobile accidents (less drowsiness and confusion from exposure). The use of vapor recovery devices greatly reduces their level of exposure to benzene.

It all means cancer down the road, lower test scores, respiratory compromise, and a bunch of other potential things no matter how you look at it. Exposures take 20-30 years to manifest depending upon genetic makeup etc.

Bottom line, leave your PPE somewhere other than inside the house, regardless. The garage would be better place in my opinion, just sayin'... To not do so is playing russian roulette with your kids health (my opinion) and after reading this, you probably will question how you store your PPE in the future.

For more chemical exposure information for children, check out the Red Cross Chemical Chemical Exposure page.

CBz

Attachments:

• BTEX Fact Sheet.pdf, 97 KB

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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on February 22, 2011 at 5:02pm

Hi Mike I do appreciate the concern. I also want to point out that this is not bunker gear and as I am not certified for it I do not have patient contact. If i'm near a fire or any kind of direct operations with a vehicle at a scene such as extrication than this coat comes off and I am in bunker gear.

The bunker gear is kept in a gear bag in the rear of the vehicle separated from the kids. It does not come into the house unless I'm checking it over after use or cleaning it and letting it dry, then it's in the basement/garage away from them.

I'm talking about regular coat here, not a bunker coat. The specific coat in question can be seen at http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=&... . It's not worn in any proximity to flame or products of combustion and I have no direct patient contact. This coat will never be worn around flame or products of combustion, the only thing that will change is when I become a certified first responder I will have patient contact. At that point I'll have to reconsider storage of this coat and if it will be a daily wear item like it is now for me.

Thanks again for your input.

Eric

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Permalink Reply by Izzy ( J. Bade) on February 22, 2011 at 6:47pm

Eric, thanks for sharing that. : )

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Permalink Reply by Greenman on February 22, 2011 at 8:03pm

Thumbs up!

Greenman

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Permalink Reply by Captain William Frazer on February 22, 2011 at 9:06pm

Very Very Cool!!

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on February 26, 2011 at 4:53am

Ok... now that you have clarified the storage and use issue... never mind... but still, your response was stellar Eric. You have done an outstanding job defining the appropriate methodology and protocol for others to follow (in case they are not...) in regard to the storage and PPE selection information you shared. Between just our two responses, readers now know:

• you are an awesome Dad, with kids that truly look up to you, for doing as LAFD says, "angels work".
• the hazards associated with kids verses adult chemical exposure
• exposure potential at automobile gas stations
• Red Cross Chemical Chemical Exposure
• common sense approach to storing firefighter PPE @ home
• and finally... that's one BRIGHT jacket! :D

TCSS,
CBz

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