Fire departments know that firefighter protective equipment needs proper care. The challenge is making sure departments can access the services they need when cost, geography, or limited resources stand in the way.
The Afterburn Foundation was created to address that access problem.
Through its Clean Gear Program, Afterburn helps qualifying fire departments access advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) decontamination by connecting documented department need with philanthropic funding and qualified independent service providers.
The process moves from an initial application to qualification, sponsorship funding, provider coordination, service delivery, and impact reporting. Each step helps establish what a department needs, how funding can support that need, and what the program ultimately makes possible.
Here’s how it works.
What is the Afterburn Clean Gear Program?
The Afterburn Clean Gear Program provides financial assistance for qualifying advanced firefighter PPE decontamination.
Afterburn is an access and funding organization. It does not manufacture cleaning equipment or operate a cleaning facility. Its role is to identify department needs, evaluate eligibility, raise philanthropic funding, connect qualifying departments with independent providers, and track program results.
The program is designed for departments whose access to advanced decontamination is limited by financial, geographic, logistical, or departmental-resource barriers.
That distinction matters. A department may recognize the value of a service and still lack a practical way to pay for it or access a qualified provider. Afterburn exists to help bridge that gap.
The sponsorship model: $500. One firefighter. One year.
The program uses a consistent annual sponsorship unit:
$500. One firefighter. One year.
A $500 sponsorship provides one firefighter with one year of funded access to qualifying advanced PPE decontamination services.
The standard annual service model is designed around two advanced liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂) decontamination cycles and one annual advanced inspection. However, the program is not a fixed package that every firefighter must receive.
Actual services depend on the equipment, exposure, inspection requirements, geography, and other qualifying needs.
Why funding is pooled
Afterburn pools sponsorship funds within the program rather than treating each donation as payment for one specific vendor invoice.
This allows the program to accommodate reasonable differences in service costs. One firefighter may need a different combination of qualifying services from another, and transportation or location can affect the overall expense.
The $500 amount is the annual program funding unit. It is not a guarantee that every firefighter receives identical services or that every participant’s direct service costs equal exactly $500.
Step 1: A fire department submits an application
The process begins when a department explains its circumstances and requests consideration for funding.
The application helps Afterburn understand the department’s personnel, protective equipment, current care arrangements, operating environment, financial resources, and anticipated service needs.
Relevant information may include:
- Number of firefighters and protective equipment sets
- Types of firefighting and emergency responses
- Current cleaning and inspection arrangements
- Geographic location and access to qualified providers
- Current annual PPE-care spending
- Available departmental contribution
- Requested assistance and estimated service volume
- Transportation and other logistical requirements
- Other available funding
The purpose is to document the actual need rather than simply establish that the department would like access to another service.
A clear application helps Afterburn understand both the scale of the request and the barrier preventing the department from moving forward.
Step 2: Afterburn reviews qualification
Afterburn evaluates the department’s documented circumstances against its program criteria.
The review considers whether financial, geographic, logistical, or departmental-resource barriers are limiting access to advanced PPE decontamination.
Department type alone does not determine eligibility. Volunteer, rural, combination, and career departments may all be considered when their circumstances demonstrate a genuine need for assistance.
The review also helps establish the anticipated service volume, potential financial assistance, and practical requirements for participation.
What qualification does and does not mean
Qualification establishes that a department meets the program’s criteria for consideration. It does not automatically mean that funding is immediately available.
Afterburn must also work within the philanthropic resources available to the program. Sponsorship depends on available funding and the program’s allocation process.
Qualified departments may be asked to complete a participation letter documenting their intention to participate if sponsorship funding becomes available.
That documentation helps establish the department’s anticipated need and supports the program’s planning and fundraising.
Step 3: Philanthropic funding supports firefighter sponsorships
Afterburn raises philanthropic support to fund qualifying services for participating departments.
The program’s $500 annual sponsorship unit gives donors a consistent way to understand the scale of their support. For example, $5,000 represents ten annual firefighter sponsorships, while $25,000 represents fifty.
Those amounts describe annual sponsorship capacity, not a promise that every sponsored firefighter will receive identical services or that the money will be spent on a one-to-one vendor invoice.
Because funds are pooled, Afterburn can account for reasonable differences in service needs and costs. This is particularly important when departments operate in different locations, use different equipment configurations, or face different transportation requirements.
The funding process connects documented demand with available philanthropic resources. It also gives Afterburn a basis for reporting how many firefighters are sponsored and what services the program funds.
Step 4: Afterburn coordinates access to a qualified provider
Once sponsorship funding is available, Afterburn coordinates the service pathway with the department and an independent provider that meets the program’s qualification requirements.
Afterburn does not perform the decontamination itself. The provider is responsible for delivering the agreed service using its equipment and established procedures.
How providers are qualified
Afterburn’s current provider model uses equipment certification and performance criteria rather than qualifying providers solely by brand.
Under the program’s current requirements, providers must operate machines that pass the required Underwriters Laboratories (UL) inspection and certification criteria. Cool Clean is currently the only manufacturer identified by Afterburn as producing machines that meet this requirement.
The provider’s service capabilities, process, relevant qualifications, logistics, and other program requirements also matter.
This approach allows Afterburn to connect departments with qualifying independent providers without becoming the manufacturer or service operator itself.
Coordinating the practical details
The specific service plan depends on the department’s qualifying needs and the equipment being treated.
Coordination may include confirming the service requirements, arranging transportation, scheduling the work, and clarifying the documentation needed when the service is completed.
Geography can affect how this works in practice. A department near a provider may face different transportation requirements from one that must ship equipment over a longer distance.
These details are part of making the funding operationally useful, rather than simply making a financial commitment on paper.
Step 5: The provider performs the service
The qualified provider performs the agreed advanced PPE decontamination services.
The service delivered should reflect the department’s qualifying needs, the equipment involved, and the applicable care requirements. The standard annual sponsorship model provides a planning benchmark, but actual services can vary.
Routine washing remains an important part of a department’s overall PPE-care program. Participation in the Clean Gear Program does not remove the department’s responsibility to follow applicable standards, manufacturer instructions, and other required cleaning, inspection, and maintenance procedures.
Advanced decontamination should also be understood in terms of demonstrated performance. A completed service does not establish that every possible contaminant has been removed or that a particular health outcome is guaranteed.
The program’s role is to make qualifying services accessible and document what was provided.
Step 6: Afterburn tracks utilization, costs, and impact
The process does not end when the gear has been serviced. Afterburn tracks relevant program information so it can understand how sponsorship funding is being used and report the results responsibly.
Depending on the service and program records, this can include:
- Firefighters sponsored
- Departments participating
- Services funded and completed
- Advanced CO₂ cleaning cycles
- Inspections and other qualifying services
- Direct service and transportation costs
- Average annual program cost per firefighter
- Service utilization and timing
These measures help Afterburn distinguish between funding commitments and actual service delivery.
For example, the number of firefighters sponsored is not the same as the number who have already received services. Tracking both makes the program’s progress clearer and supports more accurate reporting.
Why impact reporting matters
Donors need to understand what their support made possible. Departments need a clear record of participation and service delivery. Afterburn needs reliable information to understand the program’s actual costs and improve how it operates.
The foundation can use those records to report the number of departments served, firefighters sponsored, and qualifying services funded, alongside the program’s financial and operational results.
The objective is to report what actually happened, not imply that every dollar purchased an identical service or produced a guaranteed health outcome.
Who should apply for the Clean Gear Program?
The program is intended for fire departments whose access to advanced PPE decontamination is limited by a documented financial, geographic, logistical, or departmental-resource barrier.
A department does not automatically qualify because it is volunteer, rural, or small. Likewise, a career department is not automatically excluded. Afterburn evaluates the department’s actual circumstances and anticipated needs.
If your department is interested in advanced decontamination but cannot readily afford the service, the application is the place to explain your situation and request consideration.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Afterburn Clean Gear Program provide?
The program provides financial assistance for qualifying advanced firefighter PPE decontamination. Afterburn connects documented department need with philanthropic funding and qualified independent service providers.
How much does it cost to sponsor a firefighter?
The annual sponsorship unit is $500 per firefighter. It provides one firefighter with one year of funded access to qualifying advanced PPE decontamination services. Actual services and costs vary, and sponsorship funds are pooled within the program.
Does every firefighter receive two cleanings and one inspection?
Not necessarily. The standard annual model is designed around two advanced CO₂ decontamination cycles and one annual advanced inspection, but the actual services funded depend on qualifying need, equipment, exposure, and other circumstances.
Does submitting an application guarantee funding?
No. Afterburn reviews applications against its qualification criteria, and sponsorship depends on available philanthropic funding. Qualification and participation documentation do not guarantee immediate funding.
Does Afterburn perform the cleaning?
No. Afterburn is an access and funding organization, not a manufacturer or cleaning facility. It coordinates access to qualifying services through independent providers that meet the program’s requirements.
Better decontamination shouldn’t depend on your department’s budget.
Afterburn helps qualifying fire departments access advanced PPE decontamination when cost stands in the way.
Help another department get access: Sponsor a Firefighter
