00:00Our firefighters are being poisoned en masse by companies and this is why the French state is letting it happen.
00:05This is Paul. His story is featured in the documentary Burned.
00:08Paul is an American firefighter with 24 years of service and exemplary physical condition.
00:12However, overnight, she was diagnosed with cancer.
00:15They told him it was because of toxic fumes, from the fires.
00:17But his wife, Diane, refuses to believe him and decides to investigate.
00:20What's strange, first of all, is that Paul is not an isolated case at all.
00:23A huge number of firefighters around the world develop cancer.
00:26This English study shows that among firefighters aged 35 to 39,
00:29the observed cancer rate was up to 323% higher than in the rest of the population.
00:34That's when Diane realizes that the problem isn't just caused by the smoke from the fire.
00:37but also firefighter equipment.
00:39Because their protective clothing and fire-fighting foams contain a dangerous chemical, PFAS.
00:45They are also called eternal pollutants, because they never really disappear.
00:48However, during every training exercise and every intervention, firefighters breathe, touch, and absorb these products.
00:52which accumulate in their blood and eventually cause cancer.
00:55But what shocked me the most was that the companies that manufacture these chemicals,
00:58Companies like 3M or DuPont have been aware of the dangers of their products since the 1960s.
01:02but preferred to say nothing.
01:04Meanwhile, the French government is passing a law to ban PFAS in clothing.
01:08with the exception of firefighters and military personnel.
01:10And here are the parties that voted for and against the ban.
01:13By not banning PFAS in firefighters' clothing,
01:16The state helps manufacturers maintain their sales.
01:18rather than forcing them to find a quick solution.
01:20And this is at the expense of the health of our firefighters.
01:22For me, it was important that you were aware of what our firefighters are silently enduring.
01:26But I'm not lecturing you or telling you what to do.
01:28Each week, I help you understand the world so you no longer have to be a victim of it.
01:31Until next time.
