Today, May 4th 2026, is International Firefighters’ Day. I wanted to take this opportunity to not only thank every single member of the fire service for their dedication and sacrifices but also remember those who have passed away from line of duty deaths. Today we should reflect on both the past and future, which is why I am excited to talk about my genuine hope for the future of our great community!
I’ve seen a lot of changes in my over two decades of service. New equipment, new training methodologies, but one of the most significant shifts I’ve seen isn’t about how we fight fire, it’s about how we protect ourselves when we come back from a fire.
When I started my career, dirty gear was a badge of honor. The dirtier, the saltier, the more respect you earned in the station, it was a sign to everyone that you had experience. We wore our contaminated gear like war paint. Today? Many of our mindsets have shifted and clean gear is now a badge of honor.
What gets me fired up isn’t just that the science caught up and proved what we suspected about cancer risks. It’s watching an entire culture shift in real time. I’ve seen veteran captains, guys who’ve been doing this longer than I have, completely change how they look at dirty gear and think about decon. I’ve watched rookie firefighters come into the station already understanding how to take care of their gear and the importance of staying clean, behaviors that have spread to even our veteran guys.
The growth we’ve experienced at Redline across the country isn’t just about business, it’s proof that departments and firefighters are investing behind this cultural change to keep it going. Five years ago, we were explaining why gear cleaning mattered. Today, we’re scheduling annual cleanings for hundreds of departments because they understand that clean gear isn’t optional anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, the fire service isn’t perfect and this picture I am painting of a cultural shift hasn’t had 100% adoption just yet. Some firefighters are still learning, but what gives me hope more than anything, is seeing that everyone is willing to listen, willing to learn and willing to change their behaviors.
I had the opportunity to visit fire stations in Finland recently, and seeing their decon protocol was eye opening. They’ve been treating contaminations as a serious health risk for years longer than we have. But what struck me wasn’t their equipment or their procedures, it was their mindset. Clean gear wasn’t something they had to convince anyone about, it was just how they operated.
On International Firefighters’ Day, when we celebrate the courage and dedication of firefighters around the world, I’m reminded that taking care of ourselves isn’t just about us. It’s about everyone who depends on us, our families and our communities.
We’ve come a long way from thinking dirty gear makes you salty. We’re learning that clean gear makes you smart. And every firefighter who goes home healthy at the end of their career makes all of us better.
So today, as we celebrate International Firefighters’ Day, let’s keep pushing forward. Keep asking questions. Keep changing behaviors. Keep protecting each other in every way we can.
Mike Matros
President & Founder, Redline Gear Cleaning