MILESTONE NUMBER 1
1975 - The standard NFPA 1971 is first issued, providing guidance on protective gear to keep firefighters safe. This edition includes a requirement for a “vapor barrier,” which was required to have a certain water penetration level and be insulated from the body. At the time, vapor barriers were largely composed of non-breathable materials, such as rubber, rubber-coated materials or polyurethane. In the 1986 edition, the term “vapor barrier” was changed to “moisture barrier” (see Annex A-1-3).
MILESTONE NUMBER 2
1991 – To address concerns about fire fighter heat stress, the committee formed a Task Force on Heat Stress to identify test methods to evaluate materials used in fire fighter protective clothing. The Task Force identified a test for breathability of the moisture barrier, which was referred to as the “total heat loss test” or “THL”. The THL test was introduced in Appendix B, which meant it was not required. The introduction of the THL test marked a shift away from non-breathable materials (such as rubber or polyurethane) to breathable polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) materials (which were in use as early as late 1980’s) . With the THL test in an Appendix to the 1991 edition of NFPA 1971, there remained a choice for firefighters to use breathable or non-breathable moisture barrier materials.
MILESTONE NUMBER 3
1997 – Comment 1971-135 proposed moving the THL test from an option in the Appendix to a mandatory requirement in the body of NFPA 1971, and the Technical Committee rejected the comment. The general understanding at the time was that this change would effectively eliminate non-breathable moisture barrier materials and require the breathable PTFE moisture barrier materials already in use. IAFF’s Occupational Health and Safety Director spoke in support of Comment 1971-135 because it would “once again allow [] a non-breathable product to be out there” in the market. This was proposed as a Certified Amending Motion at the Annual Technical Meeting and passed, but the NFPA Standards Council rejected the incorporation of the THL test into the main body of the standard and concluded it warranted further public review.
MILESTONE NUMBER 4
1997- IAFF appealed the Standards Council decision to the NFPA Board of directors to eradicate non-breathable moisture barriers in favor of PTFE moisture barriers. On May 16, 1997, the NFPA Board of Directors upheld the Standards Council decision and the THL test remained in the Appendix, which left consumers with a choice of non-breathable moisture barriers or PTFE moisture barriers.
MILESTONE NUMBER 5
1999 – Firefighters had been reporting gear failure that led to burns, and it was found that moisture barrier degradation was reducing the level of protection. Aldan Engineered Coated Fabrics reported that its product BREATHE-TEX, used in the moisture barrier of firefighting turnout gear, had shown signs of degradation under certain conditions, reducing the level of protection.
MILESTONE NUMBER 6
2000 – IAFF continued to push for the adoption of the THL test and proposed to add it as a requirement in the standard, ensuring the predominant use of PTFE in moisture barriers which the IAFF favored. The THL was incorporated as a requirement in the 2000 edition of NFPA 1971.
MILESTONE NUMBER 7
2000 – Independent research identified a correlation between the reported moisture barrier failures and UV light exposure as a proxy for durability over time. Researchers recommended that UV light exposure could be used to test the integrity of moisture barriers, ensuring they would provide the necessary protection for firefighters. The Technical Committee’s Durability Task Group was assigned to analyze why certain moisture barriers were degrading.
MILESTONE NUMBER 8
2004 – Based on the research conducted in 2000, and following the Durability Task Group’s round robin testing to replicate the failures seen in the field, the Task Group recommended that the integrity of the moisture barrier layer be tested with 60 hours of continuous exposure to a UV light source (a “light degradation resistance test”) to help ensure the safest possible turnout gear for firefighters.
MILESTONE NUMBER 9
2004-The Technical Committee responsible for NFPA 1971, which included IAFF representatives and other members of the fire service, accepted the proposal to add a light degradation resistance test to the draft standard. The vote was 30 affirmative (including the IAFF representative), 1 negative and 2 ballots not returned. (Technical Committees are independent bodies that are responsible for standards development and the review process. For more information on the NFPA process, visit nfpa.org/process.)
MILESTONE NUMBER 10
2004- 2005 - The proposal was then forwarded to the Technical Correlating Committee, which was chaired by an IAFF representative. All 21 voting members, including the chair, approved the proposal and draft revision of the NFPA 1971 standard including the addition of the light degradation test. (Technical Correlating Committees support and coordinate the work of independent technical committees with interrelated scopes.)
MILESTONE NUMBER 11
2005- The draft of NFPA 1971 was now open for public comment, and the Technical Committee received one suggestion to remove the light degradation resistance test, which came from a turnout gear equipment manufacturer. The Technical Committee, including the IAFF representative, rejected this recommendation and voted to keep the light degradation test.
MILESTONE NUMBER 12
No further proposals to modify the light degradation resistance test were made at the NFPA Technical Meeting, which was the last step in the review process for NFPA 1971. August 2006 – The first edition of NFPA 1971 to include the light degradation resistance test was published, and at every stage, the representatives from IAFF supported its inclusion.
MILESTONE NUMBER 13
For each of the next two editions of the standard, 2013 and 2018, the Technical Committee reviewed more than 300 proposed changes. IAFF did not propose any changes to the standard. None of the proposed changes from anyone sought to delete or modify the light degradation resistance test. The IAFF representatives on the Technical and Technical Correlating Committees and an overwhelming majority of the fire service representatives on these committees all voted in favor of promulgating the standard that continued to include the light degradation resistance test.
MILESTONE NUMBER 14
High cancer rates in the fire service began to raise concerns. Research into the causes for these elevated levels of cancers was being undertaken by many groups, including NFPA, and continues today. NFPA worked to help educate the fire service about firefighter cancer risks and supported federal legislation to better understand the epidemiology around this important public health issue.
MILESTONE NUMBER 15
IAFF submitted a tentative interim amendment (TIA) to remove the light degradation resistance test from NFPA 1971. The rationale was that the test was preventing non-PTFE moisture barriers from being used, and PFAS was identified by the IAFF as a “previously unknown” hazard to firefighters.
MILESTONE NUMBER 16
June 2021 – The NFPA 1971 Technical Committee created a task group chaired by an IAFF representative to consider the issues raised in the tentative interim amendment (TIA), as well as other issues related to hazardous substances. At the same time, the Technical Committee voted on the IAFF amendment to remove the light degradation resistance test from the standard, and it failed to garner the votes required to pass. The largest number of votes supporting the amendment to remove the light degradation test came from firefighter gear manufacturers on the committee; the largest number of votes against the amendment to remove the light degradation test came from firefighters. Firefighters and other users who voted against the amendment or abstained from the vote did so due to the lack of available data on the effect of removing the light degradation resistance test on turnout gear performance and, ultimately, on firefighter health and safety. The Correlating Committee also failed to pass the TIA to remove the test.
MILESTONE NUMBER 17
August 2021 – IAFF submitted an appeal, requesting that NFPA’s Standards Council overturn the Technical Committee and Correlating Committee ballot results and issue the IAFF amendment. IAFF also requested a hearing. At the hearing, a firefighter raised concerns about removing the light degradation resistance test because he feared it would compromise the safety of turnout gear.
MILESTONE NUMBER 18
August 2021 - Following a hearing on the appeal at the Standards Council meeting and citing the ongoing work of the Task Group that had been appointed to consider this issue, the Council voted to deny the appeal on the amendment to remove the light degradation resistance test.
MILESTONE NUMBER 19
September-November 4, 2021 – The IAFF filed a petition to the NFPA Board of Directors to overturn the decision of the Standards Council. The NFPA Board upheld the Council’s decision and noted: (1) that the text at issue in this matter was open for Public Input and, as of the date of the hearing, no changes related to this matter had been proposed and (2) that a Task Group, chaired by an IAFF member, had been formed to address the issue and develop either a TIA or Public Input to the next revision cycle of the standard. The Task Group was also urged to conclude its work and act in a timely manner in connection with its tasks.
MILESTONE NUMBER 20
November 10, 2021 – Public input closed on the draft of NFPA 1970, a consolidation of 4 firefighter PPE standards, including NFPA 1971. Several public submittals, including some submitted by the IAFF, recommended revisions to the light degradation resistance test. Other public submittals recommended to expand the use of UV light exposure in other test methods. Also, in the final days of the input period, the IAFF submitted recommendations to delete the test entirely.
MILESTONE NUMBER 21
January-July 2022 – The Technical Committee held the NFPA 1970 First Draft meeting. The IAFF General President and several members of the IAFF were permitted to address the committee and requested to eliminate the light degradation resistance test from the standard. The Technical Committee deleted the light degradation resistance test but added a new multi-environmental conditioning test that included a period of UV light exposure. All members, included the IAFF representative, voted for these changes on the ballot.
MILESTONE NUMBER 22
January 4, 2023 – The Public Comment period on the NFPA 1970 First Draft Report closed. Several comments proposed changes to the multienvironmental conditioning test, including the elimination of the UV light exposure period.
MILESTONE NUMBER 23
February-October, 2023 – The Technical Committee held the NFPA 1970 Second Draft meeting. The committee removed the UV light exposure period from the multienvironmental test procedure and revised the test to apply only to the outer shells of garments. All members, included the IAFF representative, voted for these changes on the ballot.
MILESTONE NUMBER 24
May 2024 – NFPA received 9 tentative interim amendments on NFPA 1970. One, submitted by a member of the fire service, proposed to reintroduce a modified version of the light degradation resistance test. Another proposed to change the 18-month phase-in period for the standard to a 12-month period.
MILESTONE NUMBER 25
August 2024 –The new NFPA 1970 standard was issued, along with several tentative interim amendments that modified the final text. It included a modified version of the light degradation resistance test method, an allowance for low-PFAS labeling, and the addition of limitations on the use of specific restricted substances, including PFAS chemicals, in firefighter PPE. The NFPA Standards Council issued the first edition of NFPA 1970 on August 29, 2024 with an effective date of September 18, 2024.
MILESTONE NUMBER 26
April 2-3, 2025 – NFPA hosted a workshop on NFPA 1970 to address the important changes to PPE, provide updates from research, discuss data from on-going trials with PFAS-free gear, and hear status updates on product testing status.
MILESTONE NUMBER 27
August 2025 – The NFPA Standards Council issued a tentative interim amendment was filed to extend the NFPA 1970 grace period from 12 months to 18 months.
MILESTONE NUMBER 28
NFPA 1970 continues to be the subject of multiple tentative amendments. Meanwhile, the Public Input period for the next edition is set to close in 2026, marking the start of a new revision cycle.