Emergency Technical Decon (ETD), a state-of-the-art cleaning solution provider founded in 2020 to tackle the high firefighter occupational cancer rates, has become North America's first fully verified to the NFPA 1851-2020 standard Independent Service Provider (ISP) utilizing liquid CO2 technologies.
ETD is the outgrowth of two and a half decades worth of investment in finding a new, effective solution with considerable benefits to its customers across industries.
NFPA approved process
After Cool Clean Technologies, LLC set out to apply its innovative CO2 technologies to complex precision cleaning over 20 years ago, Jon Wikstrom, President, and CEO of Cool Clean Technologies saw an innovative solution for the fire decontamination industry.
In partnership with Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc., ETD was developed to offer an NFPA-approved, refined process for firefighter turnout gear, healthcare provider PPE, equipment, and more. As a result of the ISP verification, ETD now offers advanced cleaning, inspection, and repair of firefighter turnout gear.
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The standardized process is not only better for firefighters but also better for the environment"
"We know water washing is good for removing many things, but it's just not effective on removing the hazards found on firefighting gear," says Nelson W. Sorbo, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development for ETD.
"Our sophisticated and standardized process is not only better for firefighters but also better for the environment."
The solution removes 99.9% of toxins
The process requires no water and recycles the liquid CO2 from one cycle to the next, all while safely disposing of contaminants.
ETD's solution is representative of the care and research taken by its employees, and the company is proud to share that its removal rates exceed 99.9% of fire ground toxins and carcinogens, more than double the amount of what is observed through traditional water-washing techniques.
Creating safe environment
Looking beyond what's required by NFPA and UL standards, ETD's CO2+ process has been laboratory confirmed to remove over 84% of loose per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals manufactured and used in a variety of commercial, residential, and workplace items that don't break down, leading to adverse health effects in firefighters.
ETD is committed to creating the best process possible to ensure firefighter health and safety
ETD strives to exceed industry requirements and guidelines. "UL is the gold standard in the firefighting industry," says Michael Duyck, CEO of Hughes Fire Equipment, and retired fire chief.
"The fire service has struggled to find ways to create a safer environment and prevent both illness and injury in firefighters from the effects of emergency responses. Laboratory studies have shown that we weren't as successful as once thought, so it's exciting to know we finally found that solution with ETD."
health and safety
ETD is committed to creating the best process possible to ensure firefighter health and safety. The certification is just another step in the right direction to eliminating firefighter occupational cancer occurrences.
