Jacksonville firefighters are getting new protection against one of the job's quietest killers: the toxic residue that clings to their gear long after the flames are out. The Jacksonville City Council approved nearly $31.5 million for three major projects benefiting the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, with a $2 million piece of that money earmarked for a waterless system designed to strip contaminants from firefighters' turnout gear.
The vote, confirmed Wednesday, directs funding toward a CO2 removal system that JFRD says will clean gear more thoroughly and get it back into service faster, according to Action News Jax. The process starts with CO2 in its liquid form, which then converts to a gas during cleaning, pulling contaminants out of the fabric without using water at all. Fire Chief Percy Golden said the waterless method is expected to cut down the time gear spends drying before it can be issued again.
A Direct Response to Cancer Risk
Golden framed the purchase as more than a convenience upgrade. He said the system will add another layer of safety to the department's gear-cleaning routine at a time when firefighters routinely encounter hazardous substances on the job. Golden said firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals while responding to contaminated scenes, and he called the new equipment another step toward reducing the number of firefighters who develop cancer.
That risk is not abstract for JFRD. The department held a memorial last year after two of its own, Ian Church and Jason Woodruff, lost their lives to cancer, the station's report notes. Golden described the CO2 system as a major safety priority for Jacksonville firefighters in the wake of those losses.
Why Gear Cleaning Has Become a Bigger Focus
The push to get contaminants off turnout gear reflects a broader concern within the fire service. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that hazardous substances can transfer from firefighters' gear to their skin, equipment and stations, and that properly cleaning, removing, bagging and storing gear can help limit that exposure. Separately, a peer-reviewed analysis published on the National Institutes of Health's PMC database found that the washing procedures currently required under NFPA 1851 standards can be less effective because of the limited intensity of the washing conditions used, underscoring why fire departments have been exploring alternative methods like CO2 cleaning.
Part of a Larger Investment Pattern
Wednesday's approval is not Jacksonville's first recent move to upgrade firefighter equipment and facilities. Back in March 2025, the city said it intended to reinvest nearly $8 million in unused 2023-2024 budget funds into projects for JFRD and the University of North Florida, according to News4JAX. The largest share of that earlier package, $4 million, went toward renovations at two fire stations, while $692,823 was set aside to build a personal protective equipment wash facility at 2610 Fairfax St. designed to follow National Fire Protection Association standards for washing and inspecting gear.
Jacksonville's Mayor's Budget Review Committee unanimously approved that 2025 funding plan before it headed to the City Council for final sign-off. At the time, Mayor Donna Deegan said the fire station renovations and wash facility would ensure firefighters have the resources to continue keeping citizens safe and insurance rates down.
