EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Every time he rushed out on a fire call, East Providence Lt. Thomas Votta knew he put himself at risk for cancer. There are potential carcinogens in the smoke billowing out of a house fire, but also risks from wearing his chemically-treated gear .

Last month, the Rhode Island fire department became the nation’s first to give the 11-year veteran and all his 124 fellow firefighters new gear free of PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Known as forever chemicals because of how long they remain in the environment, PFAS have been linked to a host of health problems , including increased risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and babies born with low birth weights.

“We are exposed to so many chemicals when we go to fires,” Votta sai

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