Turnout Gear Decontamination FAQ's

ETD’s CO2+ cleaning and decontamination process is unique to firefighter turnout gear. Below are some of the questions that are commonly asked.

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Is Emergency Technical Decon a NFPA 1851 certified cleaning facility?

Yes, Emergency Technical Decon (ETD) has been verified by Underwriters Laboratory as a Independent Service Provider (ISP) under NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2020 Edition.

What about repairs and inspections?

ETD has gained full ISP verification to the NFPA 1851 2020 Standard for Basic Repairs, Advanced Inspections, and Advanced Repairs.

Is CO2 safe to use on turnout clothing?

Yes, through testing, CO2 has shown no damage to turnout gear or PPE. CO2 has been used for decades as an environmentally friendly dry-cleaning solution for various garments including dresses, most of which are much more delicate than firefighter turnout gear. CO2 is a gentle, but powerful cleaning solvent with a viscosity of only 8% of water. Liquid CO2 has a very low surface tension making it easy to penetrate through media typically believed to be impermeable to solvent penetration. The low surface tension characteristics of LCO2 make this cleaning solution very effective for penetrating turnout gear.

How do I get my department's turnouts to ETD?

Depending on your location and proximity to an ETD facility we have a wide variety of economical and efficient shipping options. Reach out to a local representative for pricing options.

Can I come see ETD’s facility? Where is it located?

ETD’s team is happy and excited to give tours of our state-of-the-art facility located in Eagan, MN. Contact your local representative to setup an appointment to tour the facility. Our physical address is 3711 Kennebec Dr. STE. 100 Eagan, MN 55122-1087

What types of PPE can ETD clean?

Due to the unique nature of ETD’s CO2 dry cleaning process, we can clean all different types of PPE without damaging them. Coats, pants, gloves, hoods, helmets, boots, masks, SCBA, and many other items. ETD is even effective on cleaning apparatus cab interiors and seat covers, again due to our CO2 based dry cleaning process.

What is the recommendation for turnout gear maintenance?

NFPA 1851-2020 version states firefighter turnout gear should be cleaned twice per year as a minimum. Further requiring an annual advanced inspection to keep gear performing at optimal levels.

My department already has a turnout extractor machine. Why do I need this service?

ETD’s CO2+ cleaning and decontamination services are the only method able to remove toxins to scientifically undetectable levels. This is the best practice when used in combination with in-house methods which will greatly reduce the reoccurring exposure to firefighters wearing the gear previously contaminated with toxins and other hazardous substances. While all decontamination procedures of PPE are better than none, water washing is shown to remove only 15%-40% of toxins from PPE per NFPA studies.

Does ETD’s CO2 process clean biohazard contamination?

Yes, ETD’s process has been used to remove both bacterial and viral surrogates using laboratory and full scale testing. Please inform your ETD sales rep if gear has been exposed to biological contamination.

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