Burned: Protecting the Protectors | Documentary Film | Mark Ruffalo produced PSA for Firefighters

[@ethereal_films]

Please help us spread the word by sharing this with people in your life. Changing this problem requires awareness.

[@vigiledelfuoco1]

I am an Italian Firefighter really thanks for this documentary. I will share it with my colleague. My best greetings Riccardo

[@ethereal_films]

@@vigiledelfuoco1 thanks for helping us get the word out to fix this major problem that has lasted far too long, Riccardo.

[@Blrtech77]

OMG as a retired firefighter, this is literally mind blowing. Thanks for Caring and Sharing!

[@ethereal_films]

@@Blrtech77 it's a tough situation but there's a lot of movement happening now to fix things. Spreading the word is what will change this. Thanks for your service

[@Blrtech77]

@@ethereal_films You're very welcome and I'll do my part to help spread the word. In all my years I wouldn't believe the gear that was meant to protect is almost the biggest killer of my brothers and sisters!

[@just_me_crystal_v1029]

I'm honored to have spoken to Eli, the founder/director/producer of Ethereal films. I met Eli, Rob, and Brenda (Angel of Alabama) at one of the screenings of Ethereal Films' Angel of Alabama. FOLLOW ETHEREAL!!! Eli and his crew are raising awareness, taking action, and doin AWESOME STUFF. FF's have a close brotherhood. They can also be a bit macho, rightfully so. ATTN ALL FIREFIGHTERS ... PLEASE SPEAK UP so WE can protect YOU and YOU can keep protecting US🙏🙏🙏 Shame on you, #dupont.

[@szymon_kokot]

This is groundbreaking work with global implications

[@ethereal_films]

Thank you for all of your help spreading this across Poland.

[@goglolee]

Thank you, Mark Ruffalo, for exposing this terrible situation and warning us about this dangerous substance.

[@ethereal_films]

@@goglolee he's been a great ally in this effort

[@PowderMill]

As a firefighter/EMT of 30+ years now, someone who began as a volunteer for my community at 16 and worked as a career firefighter…. THANK YOU ❤! I have A.S. (Ankylosing Spondylitis), an autoimmune disease that has fused most of my spine and joints. My doctors always ask “what chemicals have you been exposed with?”. Of course, I’ll never know, but ANYTHING that potentially harms the public safety field = Needs to be BANNED!

[@matthewbooth547]

My Dad Uncle and Grandfather I never met were all Firefighters Uncle still with us !! God Bless Producers of this Documentary

[@ethereal_films]

We are honored to take part in changing this.

[@WellthManagement]

Thank you for this ~ I learned a LOT from your efforts and have already started to share it with my 1st responder community here in Canada. This is a documentary for us ALL, not just the firefighter! The information is so important and I really appreciated the slides shown (near the 21 minute mark) about how we ALL have to be more aware, mindful and proactive about the contaminants we are exposed to. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@ethereal_films]

@@WellthManagement thanks so much for your kind words, if means so much. We have been working on a comprehensive story about the broader issue of forever chemicals which we are releasing very soon! Because yes, this is an everyone issue and we are excited to share real solutions to fix the problem.

[@daviddarby6579]

Well done Diane and all those who have helped her and her husband along the way, I watched Dark Waters a year or so ago and was truly shocked at what DuPont got away with and still are. Hopefully new gear will be available without chemicals in them to protect our Firefighters the World over. From a Retired UK Firefighter.

[@jsuperman7672]

Wow, nothing like tearing up. I've been doing this for 35 years. Everyone Keep Fighting for Change. We have to.

[@ethereal_films]

@@jsuperman7672 thank you for your service and yes, newer generations will be safer if by addressing this head on

[@michaelsullivan1262]

1714 retired as well as my deceased captain father. Thank you for your work. ✊🏻

[@ethereal_films]

@@michaelsullivan1262 hope you are healthy, thank you for your service. Please consider sharing with active FFs.

[@BWT1279]

Really sad....when I think back on my career in the fire service I can't help but remember how many times parents would bring they're young children to the firehouse to see the equipment and our gear. They almost always wanted to try things on for a picture or to just feel how heavy it was. During the month of October we did daily visits to local elementary schools for fire prevention talks and almost always dressed teachers up in our gear and SCBA and had them crawl around the floor and interact with the kids.Wish we knew.

[@BWT1279]

And what's disturbing is that after being retired for over 10 years I find out about this on KZbin and not through my Local?? Thanks for your efforts!!

[@ethereal_films]

@@BWT1279 very sorry. We did work with the IAFF to get this out to many different locals in the past year but ultimately decided to release it here directly to reach as many firefighters as possible. It was a challenging balance because this was an expensive documentary to produce but ultimately our priority was helping people as much as possible so here we are.

[@jimwattenburger4545]

Thank You Mark !

[@pinealthrone]

There is also a firefighting foam used to extinguish fuel fires and it's teeming with pfas. AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) has struck down many military firefighters and base personnel as it has seeped into the drinking water on base.

[@PowderMill]

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s , we were told “it’s as safe as baby shampoo” in the fire academy. Fortunately, I never worked in the airport crash unit, but we still have exposure with the increased use of AFFF…. With lithium ion battery fires, AFFF is now making a resurgence. There are very few resources at our disposal to suppress thermal runaway fires in EV’s and other battery use. Great video. God Bless these GREAT PEOPLE !!

[@KSCFIRE]

Thank you for doing this.

[@jimwattenburger4545]

Ed Kelly I will see you in September in Colorado Springs at the Memorial and I WILL Ask YOU for an Update on protecting our folks !!

[@stephanedesroches8378]

Thank you sharing this interesting documentary on the toxicity of PFAS contained in firefighters PPE. Stephane a french firefighter

[@ethereal_films]

@@stephanedesroches8378 thank you Stephane. We tried to set several closed captions so this message can spread to firefighters across the world.

[@heatherdivoky7248]

Great job!

[@anymaygarden]

My Father served as a volunteer firefighter and we are very lucky he is still with us, but he remembers that Worcester warehouse fire and attended services for his fallen colleagues. My Father-in-Law, a retired firefighter, passed away two years ago from cancer. His brother-in-law was also a retired firefighter and passed away from an aggressive cancer last year. My husband’s grandfather was also a firefighter killed by cancer. It’s a risky occupation, yes. But who knowingly participated in the decision to create and continue marketing that equipment? Their biggest risk is to their wallets. Hopefully any workers directly exposed on that production line were protected, or can take legal recourse. My Brother and Brother-in-Law still serve the community as firefighters and change needs to happen so swiftly. 🙏 Thank you for bringing this to the light.

[@ethereal_films]

@@anymaygarden there has been a huge amount of legal work to hold the companies accountable and recover medical compensation to anyone that gets sick. But honestly it's blood money that we wish didn't have to be fought for. Future generations will benefit so much from our efforts today

[@sabinak8182]

Brilliant

[@AboveAverageJoeOfficial]

I volunteered to join my local fire department last week, and am about to begin the training process. I'll be sharing this video at the next meeting of the FD. I believe this chemical is indeed dangerous. But just as I would risk life and limb to step up to this duty, I also do not shrink from the consequences of donning the gear. I suppose I'm lucky, I have a 3 year old, and I don't have to be a "Wish I knew sooner" comment because of what I've seen today. The next question I have is, What can I do about it? If no PPE alternative exists yet, how do I stay on top of it's development so that our department can shift gear the moment a solution is viable?

[@ethereal_films]

@@AboveAverageJoeOfficial Captain Richard Burt outlines the first steps at the end: avoid wearing except when necessary, store separately in closed containers and file an exposure report when used. Massachusetts just passed a state wide ban and so pressure from more states is what will get the materials changed hopefully in just a few years. There's a huge amount of change already happening but it comes down to pressure from firefighters everywhere. Please share this with folks around you to do that. We will follow up on this story when alternatives are widely available.

[@FDNY276]

Very informative, the Bunker Gear needs to be changed

[@ethereal_films]

A lot of movement is working to change that (lawsuits, industry changes, etc) but yes, we must demand it!

[@jimwattenburger4545]

Get em Ed Kelly !!!!!

[@raymondcarl1804]

40 years in turnout gear, 21 of those years using AFFF for aircraft firefighting. Guess I'm living on borrowed time.

[@ethereal_films]

@@raymondcarl1804 thank you for your service and please let us know how we can help. Regular screening & proactive medical care can catch problems before they are hard to deal with. You are not alone

[@raymondcarl1804]

@ethereal_films thanks for the reply. I'm having regular check ups and have already dealt with skin cancer

[@hillbillyrose6026]

Thank you, Mark for this important film and for Deep Waters. The time is now!

[@alfredoantoniojuarezflores8335]

Soy de Venezuela donde puedo buscar más información del tema soy bombero gracias

[@keithritter6157]

Kinda F'd up, I just clicked on the "like" button and made #343.... I'm also going through the turmoil of making the decision to get tested as I'm not feeling well down there while pushing 60 & been separated from the fire service since 2011. Is denying it's possible just a coping mechanism not wanting to tarnish your memories of service and family???

[@ethereal_films]

@@keithritter6157 it's a complex mix of feelings for sure. The important thing is making sure that this knowledge spreads so the problem can be solved and all firefighters can keep a proactive eye on their health due to this exposure. Thank you for your service and really sorry this happened

[@lifeafterthesqueeze3861]

I just got my test taken today

[@jerryhughes5380]

Smoke contains known carcinogens. Is anyone doing a comparitive study of modern smoke and the cancer causing compounds in it to rule out or rule in the possibility that we may be seeing an additional increase in cancers due to contamination of PPE from smoke exposure? Chief Hughes Battalion 1 (ret) Chicago FD

[@ethereal_films]

Great question. It is really difficult to compare/separate these factors given how many decades NFPA standards have required the use of PFAS. There is very little data from prior to that to compare with "no PFAS gear." But, there have been several studies including this meta-analysis summarizing data of cancer rates among firefighters and the various factors. The major factor to focus on is that over the decades, exposure to smoke has decreased drastically due to the majority of calls now being non-fire (90% according to the NFPA) and the introduction of the SCBA. Yet, despite this huge reduction in exposure to smoke, cancer rates remain significantly higher in firefighters than the general population. Source: Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Firefighters: A State-of-the-Art Review and Meta-Analysis www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063017/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063017/

[@aprilsmith3683]

Raising funds...??? Good Lord Almighty... The government should be replacing gear free of charge for every single firefighter... God speed to all of you... 🇿🇦🫶🏻🚒

[@ethereal_films]

@@aprilsmith3683 what about the chemical manufacturers who put the toxic materials in the gear? 🤔