PPE and Turnout Gear Deep Cleaning and Decontamination

By Mike Saylor — Senior Consultant and Fire Captain / Paramedic / Operational Decontamination Advisor

Let's state the obvious. Modern fires leave residues that don’t behave like legacy soot. If your turnout gear cleaning program hasn’t evolved, it’s time to reassess. Artemis Bunker Gear Decon supports departments that want a simplistic, repeatable, defensible and scalable turnout gear decontamination program—without relying on unrealistic steps, expensive equipment upgrades, or idealistic “perfect world” conditions that don't exist in the real world.

No single method removes every contaminant. This is about reducing contamination and improving consistency across the entire department in a real world operational environment.

If you only read one section, read this:

• Contamination doesn’t stop at the fireground. It follows crews back to the cab and station.
• Programs fail when they aren’t realistic. If it’s too complex, it won’t be followed—especially on busy shifts.
• Repeatability beats perfection. A consistent program is stronger than a “perfect” program nobody can maintain.
• Decon must be defensible. If it isn’t documented and standards-aligned, you’ll lose credibility with labor, HR, or risk.
• Artemis is designed to work with what departments already have. Standard washers and extractors—no vendor lock-in required.

Today’s fireground includes:

• plastics and synthetics
• lithium battery events
• modern furniture and construction composites
• petroleum-based products
• chemical off-gassing and particulate

That means turnout gear isn’t just “dirty.” It’s carrying complex residues that don’t always respond to old-school cleaning approaches.

If your turnout cleaning approach is still built around removing visible soot and odor, you’re not addressing the full contamination-control problem.

A professional turnout gear decontamination program protects the department in multiple ways:

• supports clean-cab practices
• supports station exposure reduction
• improves consistency across shifts
• supports training and SOP enforcement
• strengthens defensibility with risk management
   

This is about contamination control from scene to station.

I’ll tell you what I’ve learned the hard way, over a career and now as a consultant:

If your gear decon program requires:

• specialty machines
• perfect timing 
• a 12-step checklist 
• and more staffing than you have…

 …it will not survive real operations.

Busy days. Short staffing. Back-to-back calls. 3 a.m. returns. Competing priorities. That’s reality.

That is why Artemis focuses on:

• repeatable steps
• realistic implementation
• standards-aligned process 
• and results you can defend

A lot of products can remove surface soils.

Artemis was designed for departments who want something deeper than that:

• stronger program consistency
• better contamination-control posture
• compatibility with existing laundry equipment
• support for SOPs, training, and adoption

• Gear-safe by design: Developed to support repeatable turnout gear cleaning and decontamination practices without aggressive, damaging “strip and scour” approaches.
• Extractor-independent scalability: Works with extractors when available but does not require them—so the program can be implemented across stations without capital upgrades.
• Cold-water operational flexibility: Designed with real station constraints in mind, including compatibility with common washer settings and limited hot-water performance.
• Built for station-level adoption: Implementation is simple enough to train across shifts, realistic under high call volume, and sustainable long-term.
• Beyond odor and surface soot: Designed for modern fireground residue reality—not just deodorizing or surface cleaning like many legacy detergents and citrus degreasers.
• Procurement-ready documentation: SDS, technical data, label/use directions (as applicable), and third-party evaluation summaries available upon request to support defensible purchasing and program review.

A “real” program doesn’t rely on one magic step. It uses multiple consistent steps.

1. On-scene gross decon (where possible)
2. Isolation / bagging / transport controls
3. Clean cab practices (reduce transfer into the apparatus)
4. Routine laundering with program consistency
5. Proper drying
6. Storage separation and contamination awareness
7. Documentation and accountability

• If your program only works under perfect conditions, it won’t work long-term. 
• If crews can’t repeat it consistently, results will never be consistent. 
• If it can’t be trained across shifts quickly, adoption will stall. 
• If you can’t document it, you can’t defend it. 
• A “good program done every time” beats a “perfect program done sometimes.” 

Artemis supports departments pursuing NFPA 1851-aligned turnout gear care practices.

NFPA does not approve, certify, recommend, or endorse specific detergents or cleaning agents. Any product claiming otherwise should raise questions.

Artemis is designed to support turnout gear cleaning as part of a broader contamination-control program and must be used strictly according to label directions.

Artemis is built to be defensible.

• EPA-registered disinfectant platform lineage
• Safety documentation available (SDS) 
• Third-party evaluation summaries available upon request 
• Program support and implementation guidance
   

If your city attorney, risk manager, or union safety officer asks hard questions—this is the kind of product posture that holds up.

Firefighters deserve more than “soap and hope.”

Artemis helps departments implement repeatable contamination-control programs—workflows that fit real staffing, station layouts, budget limits, and the operational tempo of modern public safety. Artemis supports contamination-control programs; departments retain operational authority.

I’m not asking you to take my word for it. If you’re serious about improving your contamination-control program, let’s compare Artemis side-by-side with your current approach and review the results in a clear, documented way. No pitches, no claims. Just documented results. Scroll down below to contact me for more information.

About the Author
This page and Artemis program messaging are developed and reviewed by Mike Saylor — Senior Consultant and Fire Captain / Paramedic / Operational Decontamination Advisor focused on occupational exposure reduction and practical, defensible fire service implementation.

Disclosures
Artemis Public Safety provides products and contamination-control program support. Departments retain full authority over SOPs, training, implementation decisions, and operational practices. No single method eliminates all contaminants; products must be used strictly in accordance with applicable standards and label directions.