For decades, some of America’s bravest, facing the battle against flames, were unknowingly exposed to carcinogenic chemicals and deadly conditions. In Nebraska, where volunteer and career firefighters are the backbone of so many small communities, the risk of cancer hits especially close to home. The chemicals designed to protect them — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — have silently contaminated their protective gear, their firehouses, and eventually their own bodies.

The Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art Alternatives Act (PFAS Alternatives Act), reintroduced in May 2025, could finally change that. The bill proposes a $25 million annual budget to fund research into PFAS-free firefighting gear. It’s a long-overdue investment in protecting those who risk the

See Full Page