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NFD working hard to protect its most important asset: firefighters

The Nashville Fire Department is doing what it can to proactively protect its firefighters from cancer-causing toxins.
NFD Turn Out Gear
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Cancer is a leading cause of death for men and women who fight fires and protect us every day, and The Nashville Fire Department is doing what it can to proactively protect its firefighters from toxins that could cause them to get sick.

NewsChannel 5's Carrie Sharp got a behind the scenes look at the department's Logistics Division, where the hum of washers and dryers is a constant.

The department is mandated to wash each firefighter's gear twice a year, but NFD works to do it far more often. Already this year, they've washed 1,100 hundred sets of "turnout gear."

NFD Commander Brian Butler says the name of the game with fire crews - is transparency.

"We tell our firefighters anytime they are exposed to some type of hazardous chemical or toxic smoke of any kind to reach out to us, and we'll come to them pick up their gear and have it cleaned."

Surprisingly, the turnaround time is just 24 hours, and each firefighter has two sets of gear.

Do you have more information about this story? You can email us at newsroom@newschannel5.com.

AI technology assisting doctors at TriStar with stroke detection and treatment

We all know AI technology is being used more and more every day. There can be a lot of useful benefits to this technology, especially in the medical field. This story shows how a local hospital is using to help save precious time when treating stroke patients. 

- Lelan Statom