From Setback to Solution How San Francisco FD Helped Redefine Firefighter Protection

The Hidden Layer That Held the Industry Back

Two years ago, San Francisco Fire Department thought they had finally found what they’d been searching for: turnout gear that claimed to be free of PFAS chemistries. For a department pushing hard to protect its firefighters from unnecessary chemical exposure, it felt like a breakthrough.

But when they sent the gear for independent testing, the results didn’t match the promise. The reports showed that, despite the label, the gear still relied on the same flame‑retardant chemistries the department was trying to move beyond.

To understand the depth of the issue, it helps to look at how turnout gear is built. Each set is made from three layers working together: the outer shell, the thermal liner, and the moisture barrier.

While non-PFAS options existed for parts of that system, the moisture barrier remained the one layer that continued to rely on fluorinated chemistries. It became the final obstacle preventing a fully nonfluorinated turnout gear system from becoming a reality.

Some manufacturers claimed their moisture barriers were “PFAS-Free,” but in many cases that simply meant PFAS had been replaced with halogenated flame resistant materials. Those materials carried their own set of concerns, leaving the fire service without a satisfactory alternative.

The question became clear.

How do you create a truly high-performing moisture barrier without relying on the chemistries that have historically delivered protection?

Performance or Peace of Mind?

Before concerns about PFAS rose to the surface, turnout gear was built with one priority in mind: protection at all costs. For decades, that protection depended on chemistries that could repel heat, water, oils, fuels, and chemicals. PFAS played a major role in that system, and so did halogenated flame resistant chemistries.

They were used because they delivered the performance the job demanded. They were persistent, durable, and for years they were the only way to meet the extreme conditions firefighters faced.

As time went on, fire houses across the nation started having the same difficult conversation. The gear firefighters trusted with their lives might not have been fully protecting them. Independent testing and growing research raised concerns not only about PFAS, but also about the halogenated chemistries that were often used in their place.

That shift pushed the industry to start advocating for alternative solutions that did not force firefighters to choose between performance and peace of mind.

Rebuilding the Chemistry Behind Protection

The moisture barrier was the piece no one had been able to solve, and the challenge wasn’t limited to one department or one city. Across the textile industry, the conversation about PFAS was getting louder, and the limitations of halogenated chemistries were becoming harder to ignore. Milliken & Company, with material science at the center of our work, recognized the scale of the challenge ahead.

Years before San Francisco began their search, we committed to removing PFAS from our fire service fabric portfolio. That decision required us to rethink more than 150 years of textile expertise and rebuild core chemistries from the ground up.

Our research and development team began building a library of non‑PFAS chemistries that could be used to solve specific performance challenges.

The fire service needed a non‑PFAS, non‑halogenated flame-resistant moisture barrier that stayed breathable, lightweight, and protective against heat, water, and chemicals. Meeting all those needs at once is like playing Jenga: adjust one chemistry block, and the whole performance can shift.

After extensive development work, the missing piece arrived in November 2024. Milliken Assure™ became the industry’s first high performing non PFAS, non-halogenated FR moisture barrier, backed by in-house testing, third party validation, and certification to NFPA 1970 2025 and the more stringent 1971-2018 standard.

When Science Met the Fireground

San Francisco’s push to remove PFAS from firefighter gear started with people having the courage to speak up.

Firefighters, union leaders, and health‑and‑safety advocates raised concerns and kept the conversation alive. Their voices reached the mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and eventually the state legislature. That momentum led to AB 1181, a new state law banning PFAS from firefighter gear across California.

The City of San Francisco went even further, setting its own goal and funding the effort to move every firefighter into non-PFAS gear by June 30, 2026.

After setting that ambitious goal, SFFD got to work evaluating the non-PFAS options available to them. With the support of their garment manufacturing partners, SFFD went through a rigorous process of material research and product testing to identify solutions that could meet their specific performance requirements.

Thermal protection (TPP), heat loss (THL), and breathability (RET) metrics were evaluated, fabric features were closely examined, and firefighter feedback was factored into every decision.

Through that due diligence, SFFD identified a non-PFAS turnout gear system that met their needs. For the first time, it included a non-PFAS, nonhalogenated moisture barrier.

And like any real breakthrough in science, the next step was to test it.

SFFD purchased 50 sets of gear and sent them to their busiest crews, the ones who would stress test the gear fast. Firefighters wore them on real fires, in burn rooms, and through daily calls. They filled out checklists and surveys.

Here’s what they reported:

• “An overwhelming majority of our survey results were little to no difference in heat retention from the old turnouts.”
• “The first thing you're going to notice when you put it on is that it's really comfortable.”
• “The pants are amazing… you feel like you're in jammies.”
• “The new set did feel like they were just made out of a, a more comfortable material or something that felt more like real, you know, fabric instead of something that was, uh, super synthetic.”
• “I’m noticing little to no difference from what we have been wearing, which is what we’re looking for.”

A New Path Forward for Firefighter Protection

For San Francisco, the shift is simple but meaningful. The new gear feels familiar, performs the way they expect, and meets the strictest safety requirements without PFAS or halogenated chemistry. Most importantly, it reinforces what the entire effort was about from the start: protecting the people who protect their city.

The impact reaches far beyond San Francisco. The city’s approach shows what’s possible when policy, funding, and real-world testing move together. It offers a clear model for other departments: set a goal, secure the resources, partner with manufacturers, and trust the science that guides the way forward.

This moment marks a shift in how turnout gear is imagined and built. Progress happens when innovation and service move in the same direction, and San Francisco’s journey proves that better protection is within reach for every department willing to take the next step.