Fire season is getting ever so close and if it was anything like last year you’re going to want to be ready. Ready to help your family get through the struggles of the fire life and for me that includes helping my husband be ready. This brings me to the next feature blog: Responder Wipes. I have talked a lot on here about cancer in the fire service and how important I feel it is to educate and help our firefighter’s and fire wives know of products and things out there to help them. Responder wipes is one of those products. I have mentioned them before but for the last few months have been trying them out so you know that I am not just talking about a product I have seen but have used, touched, smelt and have had many conversations with the owner. This is a product that I would trust to help my husband as well as be used in the home.

A little background to how Responder Wipes came about all of this taken from what the co founder and owner talked to me about through email. Tonya the Co Founder was working for an architectural firm that specialized in designing fire stations. During this time she was asked about trying to control contaminants in the firehouses. While researching this she discovered that fire cancer was more then just a thought but a true epidemic. She found that there was not much out there for on-scene decontamination. She partnered with a fire chief and they talked about different ideas and came up with the concept of Responder Wipes. Something firefighters could use on scene. At first Tonya wasn’t sold on the idea but it wasn’t until she had a dream that her mind changed. So, they began their journey researching products and coming up with what firefighter’s liked and what would work the best in helping fight against toxins and carcinogens. In 2016 they launched their product. The next year Tonya ended up buying out the other co-founder because of his fire career and concerns of it being a conflict of interest for him. She still consults with him and both are very supportive of each other. Responder Wipes are an on scene decontamination wipe. Helping first responders wipe down after and during emergency calls. The biggest use would be during fires such as structural or wildland.

So, what makes these Responder Wipes different? Something I hope that is obvious with the previous paragraph and also something that if you get to know them is the passion behind the product. They are passionate about what they do and truly care for the cause they are doing it for. As a fire wife this helps me feel at ease knowing that there are companies who care about our firemen and their well being. Responder Wipes also partners with Carney Strong Initiative who is dedicated to bringing awareness and supplying rural stations with decon education and products. Most of these companies are listed in the Fire Cancer blog. Check them out! But besides all that one thing that they do different is they use micellar water. The use for this helps draw out and dissolve dirt helping decontamination be more successful. Another thing that they do is offer different sizes of wipes. The sizes they offer are the Chief’s Wipe which is X-Large 12×24 that can come in individual packs for easy grab and go, a 20 resealable pack of Lieutenant Wipes in 8×8 size, and a NEW third size just released in individual packs the Captain’s Wipe in 8×12 size. The variety of sizes makes it great for options whether more or less decon is needed. These wipes smell amazing and are super soft on the skin. They do not make you feel greasy but leave a clean and soft feel to your skin.

There is also something else you can find on Responder Wipes website. This is the DOT System. These are Encapsulation bags that help further getting the decontamination off of firefighters and concealing it to a confined small area before getting back in their rig. They are easy to use and easy to clean. The idea is that the faster our firefighters can get carcinogens off their skin the better chance they have of fighting their risk of contracting firefighter cancer. I encourage you to check out the video on their website on the DOT System because it is just one of those things that is better to see then to read about. But totally worth the watch! It is amazing! You can find the link to responder wipes under the “link” tab option.

So, as fire season vastly approaches I encourage you to have those tough conversations with your firefighter about what they are doing and what their stations are doing to help them beat their odds. Research and check out all these companies who are working so hard to make the difference and give them a try! Responder Wipes is one of many companies but they are definitely ones worth trying and using! Praying for a safe season for your families this year!