WORCESTER, Mass. - The wife of a former Worcester firefighter who has spent years sounding the alarm about an alleged presence of cancer-causing chemicals in firefighting gear believes change and accountability are closer than ever before.

Ever since her husband Paul was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014 and was forced to retire, Cotter has been a leading voice in the push to hold corporations accountable for the use of toxic PFAS in firefighters’ turnout gear.

“I had felt that we had lost everything when Paul lost the job, and I had nothing left to lose,” Cotter said. “So I was just able to say ‘I’m going to fight with everything I have.”

Cotter describes herself as a ‘private person who fell into a very public rabbit hole. In her early days attempting to raise awareness of the issue, she was met with resistance and backlash.

“We had enough information that everybody should have been scared to death like I was, it was all there,” Cotter said. “I didn't produce anything that wasn't already in easily accessible science journals. I had no formal education, so if I could find it, anybody else could find it. What was happening is there was an absolutely orchestrated effort to squash this.”

A 2022 lawsuit filed by 10 Worcester firefighters alleges the chemical companies who manufactured or used PFAS in the making of firefighting foam or gear engaged in a continuous and ongoing public deception about the risks. The firefighters allege turnout gear was extensively treated with the potentially harmful chemicals, also known as forever chemicals.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, is one of four filed across the country by Pritzker Levine LLP, a New York law firm, representing firefighters who allege PFAs-related injuries against roughly two dozen listed defendants.

Meanwhile lawmakers on Capitol Hill have tried multiple times to pass legislation requiring turnout gear to be PFAS free, and while Cotter is hopeful it will happen soon, she’s concerned the same corporations alleged to have hidden these risks would stand to profit.

“The laws that we're writing now will go into effect, and we'll be purchasing new PFAS-free for every Massachusetts firefighter, and then we've rewarded the makers of the turnout gear that was poisoning firefighters for years.”

A group of nearly 100 Massachusetts lawmakers are calling on Attorney General Andrea Campbell to join the Worcester firefighters’ lawsuit and "expand ongoing litigation to include firefighter turnout gear.”

The group, led by state Sen. Michael Moore, (D-Worcester), and state Rep. Jim Hawkins, (D-2nd Bristol), sent a letter to Campbell advocating for protective firefighting gear to not be made with these chemicals.

“For years, we’ve always thought that any exposure or cancer resulting from exposure was probably due to the chemicals that they dealt with when they were responding to the fire,” Moore said. “Now that we know PFAS, which is a known carcinogen, is actually in the fire suppression foam and it’s also used on the turnout gear they wear when trying to protect themselves from the fire.”

Diane began her advocacy work in the face of skepticism and resistance, but now the cause she took up is common knowledge among those in the fire service, and it’s changed how they work.

During a January interview with Spectrum News 1 about cancer awareness among firefighters, Retired Deputy Chief Joe Marchetti of the Brockton Fire Department said attitudes have changed regarding turnout gear. Marchetti is also a survivor of prostate cancer.

“Newer firefighters are being smarter about it,” Marchetti said. “They've learned from the firefighters of the past. They're taking these precautions. They're not wearing the turnout gear unless it's absolutely necessary. They have alternative outerwear they're wearing on EMS calls.”

While the change and accountability Cotter has fought hard for continues to be a work in progress, she has people’s attention, and she’s far from finished.

“We are still not having the PFAS-free turnout gear readily available,” Cotter said. “So I think, like any activist will tell you, there are wins and there are losses along the way. We celebrate the small wins, and when the losses come, as they do and they have, we have to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and get right back on and start again.”

Cotter mentioned one of her primary advocates on Capitol Hill has been Rep. James McGovern, (D-MA 2nd District). He said Congress has made some progress towards banning PFAS, but needs to move much quicker.

“She continues to fight on Capitol Hill for us to do more, to invest more, and to help get all this dangerous equipment away from firefighters,” McGovern said. “And I will be wind at her back.”

At the state level, Moore’s office confirms Campbell has received the letter and is looking into the matter. In the meantime, Moore said he will continue to pursue legislative solutions, including the creation of a PFAS Research and Development Public Safety Fund, which would be used to support the development, testing and purchase of PFAS-free turnout gear for firefighters across Massachusetts.

“Diane Cotter, one of the unlikely individuals responsible for uncovering the firefighting gear industry’s prolific use of toxic PFAS chemicals, is a tough-as-nails fighter and tireless advocate for the firefighters sickened by the gear that is meant to safeguard them.” Moore said. “For Diane, this matter is personal – her husband is one of the countless first responders dealing with cancer and otherwise rare illnesses that may be a direct result of PFAS exposure. It is an honor to work with Diane in her mission to protect those who protect us, and I admire her fearless spirit as she stands up to the powerful corporations who are knowingly poisoning firefighters across the Commonwealth and the nation.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that the firefighter was diagnosed with prostate cancer and not pancreatic cancer.