During the first year of Africa Fire Mission’s Waste Reduction Innovation Grant project, thousands of pieces of retired firefighter equipment and medical supplies were kept out of the waste stream and prepared to support firefighters and communities across Africa.
With support from Hamilton County ReSource, AFM expanded its capacity to collect, inspect, sort and prepare donated firefighter personal protective equipment, emergency equipment and medical supplies for responsible reuse.
Why Firefighter Gear Is Retired
In the United States, firefighter protective gear is managed according to standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These standards require many elements of structural firefighting protective equipment to be retired no more than 10 years after their manufacture date.
This retirement requirement is based on the age of the equipment, even when individual items remain in good physical condition.
For many fire departments across Africa, access to protective equipment remains extremely limited or nonexistent . Firefighters may respond to structural fires without properly fitted turnout gear, boots, helmets or gloves. Equipment retired from service in the United States can therefore have meaningful continued value when it is carefully inspected, responsibly prepared and appropriately distributed.
AFM’s equipment-reuse program connects these two realities—helping U.S. fire departments responsibly manage retired equipment while improving access to protection for firefighters serving under-resourced communities.
8.5 Tons Diverted in One Year
Between August 28, 2025 and August 28, 2026, AFM received approximately 17,000 pounds—or 8.5 tons—of donated materials.
This included:
Firefighter personal protective equipment
Helmets and boots
Emergency-response equipment
First Aid Supplies
AFM also processed approximately two additional tons of equipment donated before the reporting period that had not yet been sorted and prepared for shipment.
Preparing Equipment to Protect Firefighters
Fire departments from across the country, including 7 departments in Hamilton County, Ohio donated equipment being decommissioned.
Changes in NPFA standards regarding responsible disposition of equipment is leading many fire departments looking of opportunities to improve their disposition plans of retired equipment. AFM is working to be ready to work with fire departments on disposition of equipment in responsible ways.
Within the coming months, AFM expects to ship much of the equipment currently stored in Hamilton County in two to three 40-foot containers. These shipments are expected to help equip at least 1,200 firefighters in Africa.
2,000 First Aid and Bleeding Control Kits
The project also diverted medical supplies that AFM volunteers used to assemble 2,000 First Aid and Bleeding Control supply kits.
These kits will support first responders, community members and locally trained AFM instructors as they teach people how to respond to injuries and life-threatening bleeding. At the same time, usable medical supplies were kept from entering the waste stream.
Volunteers Making an International Impact
This work was possible because of an extraordinary commitment from volunteers, fire departments and community partners.
AFM documented 1,029 hours of volunteer and fire department logistical support during the project’s first year. Volunteers inspected, sorted, counted, organized and repackaged thousands of pieces of equipment.
Of those hours, 420 were contributed by MetzCor program participants. MetzCor serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Hamilton County. Through their participation, volunteers developed practical job skills that can support future employment while making a meaningful contribution to an international public-safety initiative.
At least 300 people participated in or were directly exposed to the project’s waste-reduction and reuse activities. This conservative estimate does not include the firefighters, families and communities that will ultimately benefit from the equipment and supplies.
Building a Sustainable Reuse Network
The grant is helping to strengthen a network of fire departments, companies, community volunteers and partner organizations committed to responsible reuse.
Every helmet, pair of boots, set of turnout gear and medical kit represents more than an item kept out of a landfill. It represents another opportunity for a firefighter to respond with greater protection and for a community to receive stronger emergency services.
Africa Fire Mission is grateful to Hamilton County ReSource, MetzCor, LION participating fire departments, corporate partners and every volunteer helping retired equipment begin a meaningful new chapter.