Florida is set to ban the use of traditional firefighting foam made with toxic ‘forever chemicals,’ or PFAS, due to their direct link to cancer. The new state law, which takes effect next Wednesday, prohibits emergency agencies across the state from using PFAS-containing firefighting foam for training or teaching exercises.

Florida Foam Ban Timeline

The historical industry standard, known as AFFF or aqueous film-forming foam, effectively smothers fuel-based fires but relies on dangerous chemicals that harm both first responders and the surrounding environment. Tampa Fire Rescue has been using a PFAS-free foam for a few years, what they call ‘green foam.’ ‘It looks just kind of like a dish soap. So, this mixes with the water and creates bubbles on the top which creates a blanket that keeps the vapors from escaping because it’s the vapors that actually burn,’ said Tampa Fire Rescue Chief of Special Operations Robert Collins.

Florida’s strict new mandate outlaws the purchase or sale of PFAS foam by July 2027, with a total ban on its use coming by July 2029. State officials have not finalized the specific logistics regarding how the existing chemical reserves will be collected and permanently eliminated.

Protecting Local First Responders

The push to eradicate these hazardous materials follows years of health studies tracking elevated cancer rates among emergency personnel. Tampa Fire Rescue said its switch to their green foam took six to eight years, with their firefighting apparatuses fully converted to PFAS-free foam in the last three years. ‘We had multiple firefighters who’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Anything that we can do to eradicate cancer in the fire service, we’re going to do,’ said Collins.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.