How to test the performance of non-PFAS firefighting protective gear

Two states have already banned PFAS in textiles and apparel, including turnout gear, and major cities like San Francisco and Austin have followed suit. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire - so it’s time to get ready for regulation changes that will affect your department. Luckily, non-PFAS options are out there, so you can move forward to wear trials with confidence that innovative solutions exist - without sacrificing the performance, usability, or comfort you need in your turnout gear.

Some Things Never Change

Odds are you’ve done a wear test or two over the years. The last time you tested turnout gear, you looked at critically important attributes in these primary categories:

So how will your wear test be different now that you’re looking at non-PFAS turnout gear?

It won't.

While times and regulations may be different, you can’t and shouldn’t change how you’ll conduct your assessment because safety has to come first. You’ll ask the same questions you’ve always asked to select top-performing fabrics for your firefighters. And if you’re testing Milliken’s non-PFAS system, you’ll get industry-leading results, often exceeding the performance levels you have seen with traditional PFAS garments.

The Results Are In

Milliken textiles are hitting the mark and exceeding performance standards without the use of PFAS chemistry.

With regulation changes clearly on the horizon, Milliken put in the work to become the first U.S.-based multi-market textile manufacturer to remove PFAS from its textile fibers and finishes; removing the use of the chemistry in all fire service fabrics in 2021. Milliken offers all three layers of firefighter turnout gear, including outer shell, thermal liner, and a recently launched moisture barrier, Milliken Assure™. And even without the use of PFAS chemistry in its textiles, Milliken composites, made up of all three layers of fabric, met and exceeded the more stringent NFPA 1971-2018 standard in 2024 third-party tests.

Milliken non-PFAS fabric-based garments will leave you with no doubts about the levels of durability, performance, and comfort you expect from your gear, so you can move forward with confidence to conduct wear tests of the non-PFAS gear your firefighters deserve.