After Bradley B-17 Crash, Lasting Impact of PFAS Firefighting Foam Remains A Question

Christopher Albani was at home when he heard the call that a B-17 crashed at Bradley International Airport, killing seven people. He’s a firefighter, one of several who responded to the Oct. 2 crash.

Albani was put on a hose line, dumping firefighting foam onto burning wreckage.

“So in that moment, being exposed to it, guys were covered, head to toe, in the stuff,” Albani said.

Firefighters doused the flames using a special material called aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF. It smothers fires, extinguishing flames better than just water.

At the time, Albani said, first responders didn’t have time to think about the foam’s health risks.

“You had a plane crash. You had fatalities. You had people injured. You had a lot of fire. There was no option, it had to be used,” Albani said.

Read the rest of the story at Connecticut Public Radio’s website.