# City of Bellingham Public Health Committee Advances PFAS-Free Firefighter Gear and Emergency Planning On the afternoon of January 27, 2025, the City of Bellingham's Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee convened for a brief but significant meeting that addressed firefighter safety and emergency preparedness. With committee chair Daniel Hammill presiding, the ten-minute session featured council members Skip Williams and Michael Lilliquist discussing two critical public safety initiatives that would soon advance to the full city council. The meeting, held in the familiar efficiency of committee work, exemplified how municipal government addresses ongoing health and safety challenges through careful planning and strategic partnerships. What might appear as routine administrative business actually represented important steps in protecting first responders from chemical exposure and updating the city's disaster preparedness framework. ## The PFAS-Free Gear Initiative The committee's primary action item centered on an interlocal agreement that would complete the city's transition to PFAS-free protective equipment for fire department personnel. Assistant Fire Chief David Pethick presented the proposal, explaining how this agreement represents the second phase of a comprehensive effort that began in 2024. "This is the second part of the funding," Pethick explained, noting that the original council approval covered equipment for firefighters funded through the general fund. "It's going to cover 46 paramedics gear, and this was approved at the June 2024 EMS oversight board." The issue at stake touches on one of the most significant occupational health challenges facing modern firefighters. PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called "forever chemicals"—have been linked to increased cancer rates and other serious health conditions among firefighters. These chemicals, prized for their water and oil-repelling properties, have been standard components in firefighting gear for decades. The $83,781.64 agreement with Whatcom County would fund PFAS-free response gear for the 46 paramedics whose positions are supported by the Medic One Fund, which receives revenue from the county's Emergency Medical Services levy. This funding structure illustrates the complex web of local government finance, where different employees performing similar roles may be funded through different revenue streams. Council Member Lilliquist, drawing on his scientific background, raised important questions about the scope of the PFAS problem. "My recollection of the one time I put on that gear, there's often some insulating under layers as well," he noted. "Are there PFAS issues with insulating layers also?" Pethick's response revealed both the progress made and challenges remaining: "The big problem is in the vapor barrier or the moisture barrier stuff is where you find a lot of the PFAS chemicals." While the new response gear eliminates PFAS from the shell component, he acknowledged that insulating layers may still contain these chemicals. "The manufacturers have been making gains in that it's expensive it's still really really hot because it doesn't breathe and we are watching that carefully." The assistant fire chief also clarified an important distinction about the new equipment. "This response gear that is the term we're using it for. It is a dual compliant for doing rescue EMS vegetation fires. It is still not a replacement for the actual bunker gear." The gear would be used for outdoor fires, vehicle extrication, and rescue calls—situations where traditional heavy bunker gear might not be necessary but where protection from flash fires and injury remains important. This strategic approach recognizes that not every emergency requires the heaviest protective equipment, and by providing safer alternatives for routine calls, the fire department can reduce firefighters' overall exposure to PFAS chemicals while maintaining necessary protection. After brief discussion, Williams moved to approve the interlocal agreement, and the motion carried unanimously, 3-0. The measure would move forward to the evening's full council meeting for final approval. ## Emergency Management Planning Update The committee's second item addressed the ongoing update of the city's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, a document that might not generate headlines but forms the backbone of the community's disaster preparedness efforts. Jonas Stinson, the emergency management plans coordinator, provided an overview of the update process for the plan that guides the city's response to everything from natural disasters to public health emergencies. "This is a regular scheduled plan that is in occurrence with intervals scheduled through the Washington State Division of Emergency Management," Stinson explained. "Our last plan was approved in 2018 and then during this last year we've been... going through doing some updates on that plan." The update process reflects both legal requirements and lessons learned from recent experience. Washington Administrative Code requires all local emergency management jurisdictions to maintain current comprehensive plans, but the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent emergencies have highlighted areas where planning could be improved. "We've learned through COVID, there's a lot of different dynamics involved in our response and we want to make sure that our planning is done in the most all hazards way so that we can anticipate the response to a variety of situations," Stinson noted. Council Member Lilliquist asked what distinguished this updated plan from its predecessor. Stinson explained that the revisions incorporate new state and federal guidance, particularly around "whole community approach" concepts. "So trying to be more inclusive with communication, understanding the dynamic needs of our populations with vulnerable groups and making sure that we're anticipating communication to different groups during emergencies." This emphasis on inclusive emergency management reflects broader recognition that disasters don't affect all community members equally. Elderly residents, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and other vulnerable populations may need different types of assistance and communication during emergencies. The timeline for the plan's completion follows a structured state review process. The city expects to submit an initial draft to the Washington State Division of Emergency Management by the end of March 2025. The state then has 45 days to review the document and provide feedback. After incorporating state recommendations, the revised plan would return to the council for final review and approval. Stinson also distinguished the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan from the city's Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is developed in collaboration with Whatcom County. "The CMP is a fairly high-level strategic plan," he explained, while "the natural hazard mitigation plan... really gets more into what are the hazards and what are we planning and how do we mitigate those." The current version of the plan remains available to the public on the city's website under the fire department section, reflecting the city's commitment to transparency in emergency planning. ## Routine Efficiency and Future Planning The meeting concluded with characteristic efficiency, wrapping up approximately 50 minutes ahead of schedule. Chair Hammill noted the early finish, thanking the presenters and adjournment the session at 1:11 PM. This brief but substantive meeting exemplified how municipal committees handle the ongoing work of governance—addressing immediate needs like firefighter safety while planning for future challenges through emergency preparedness. The unanimous approval of the PFAS-free gear agreement demonstrated council consensus on protecting first responder health, while the emergency management plan update reflected ongoing efforts to learn from recent experience and improve community resilience. Both items would advance through the city's legislative process, with the gear agreement moving to the full council for final approval and the emergency management plan continuing through its state review process. As the committee adjourned, the work of protecting firefighters from chemical exposure and preparing the community for future emergencies continued, representing the steady progress of local government in addressing complex, long-term challenges. The next committee meeting was scheduled for February 10, 2025, continuing the regular cycle of municipal oversight and decision-making that keeps the city's public safety apparatus functioning and evolving to meet new challenges.