The contamination that coats your gear coats everything mounted on it — radios, flashlights, straps, and PASS devices — and those need a decon protocol that cleans without drowning them. Wipe, don’t soak, and put it in the same routine as the wash.
What rides through the fire with you?
Radio bodies and mics collect the same condensed products of combustion as your shell — then get handled bare-handed at every incident and carried into the cab, the dayroom, and home. Same for flashlights, mic clips, carabiners, and glove straps. Contamination does not respect the boundary between fabric and hardware.
How do you decon equipment safely?
- Remove everything from the gear before washing — pockets, clips, and mounts emptied; electronics never ride the extractor.
- Wipe-down protocol: manufacturer-approved cleaning wipes or a damp cloth with mild cleaner — seams, knobs, and speaker grilles where residue collects.
- Lapel mics and cords deserve special attention — they sit at your collar, next to the exposure zone your hood protects.
- Straps and fabric accessories (radio straps, webbing) can usually be washed — check their labels, and wash leather goods per their own care rules.
Who owns equipment decon?
Fold it into the post-fire gear routine: gear to the extractor, electronics to the wipe-down station — same trigger, same hour. Departments that decon gear but re-mount dirty radios rebuild the exposure they just washed off.
FAQ
Do helmet lights and brackets need it too?
Yes — helmets and everything on them collect heavy deposits; wipe hardware when the helmet is cleaned.
What about SCBA?
SCBA has its own cleaning requirements under its own standard — facepieces especially. Keep both routines; ask us where they meet.