The East Millinocket Volunteer Fire Department recently outfitted all its members with new turnout gear that is PFAS-free and non-halogenated, making it the first fire department in Maine to do so.
A $90,000 grant from the Gloria C. MacKenzie Foundation paid for one complete set of the new turnout gear for each of the department’s four full-time firefighters and 21 call firefighters, which they received in June.
Fire Chief Kevin McAdam said the department had been working with relatively old turnout gear, and town finances have been tight since the mill closed. He went searching for outside funding and finally found it through the local family foundation.
Gloria C. MacKenzie, who died in 2021, grew up in Millinocket, taught in the Schenck school system and moved to Florida after her retirement. She started the philanthropic foundation in 2013 after winning the largest Powerball jackpot in American history.
McAdam said early reviews of the new turnout gear from his firefighters have been positive.
“Performance-wise, so far, everybody likes it,” he said. “It’s flexible. It’s maneuverable. Better than some of the older stuff that we had.”
McAdam called the new gear a “good comparison” to the old. “One of my guys did some live burn training, so there were some pretty hot fires, and he was very impressed with it,” he said.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” have historically been used in firefighting clothing because they repel water, oil and other contaminants. But exposure to PFAS has been linked to serious health problems.
Halogenation is used in the manufacture of flame-resistant materials. The process creates persistent compounds that carry health risks.
Maine started phasing out sales of products with intentionally added PFAS in 2023 under a plan that would ban sales of all such products by 2032, but the state continues to struggle with a legacy of soil and water contamination from years of spreading PFAS-laden sewage sludge on farm fields as fertilizer.
The East Millinocket firefighters received Ricochet Gear M2 Maverick coats and pants, which use a non-PFAS material system that includes Milliken & Company’s Horizon outer shell fabric, CoreCXP thermal liner, and Assure — a non-PFAS, non-halogenated, flame-resistant moisture barrier.
According to a news release, the turnout gear “has undergone extensive performance and safety testing, is UL certified, and meets the requirements of NFPA 1971 (2018 and 2025 Edition).”
