AFFF Exposure at DoD Training Centers & Schools: Risks, Eligibility, and How to Build a Strong Claim

From basic firefighting certifications to advanced aircraft rescue simulations, Department of Defense (DoD) training centers and schools have long relied on Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) to prepare service members and civilian personnel for fuel-fire emergencies. Those repetitions saved lives in the field—but they also created a hidden hazard on campus. AFFF contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the so-called “forever chemicals” now linked to serious illnesses.

If you taught, trained, supported, or attended a DoD school where AFFF was stored, tested, or deployed—and you’ve since been diagnosed with a PFAS-associated disease—you may be eligible to pursue compensation through an AFFF lawsuit. This page explains common exposure pathways unique to DoD training environments, the medical conditions at issue, the documentation that strengthens a claim, and how Keefe Law Firm can help.

Why AFFF Became Standard at DoD Training Sites

DoD campuses prepare personnel for real-world aircraft, vehicle, shipboard, and industrial fuel-fire scenarios. For decades, AFFF was the foam of choice for those evolutions because it rapidly smothers flammable-liquid fires and prevents re-ignition. As a result, training environments often involved:

  • Live-foam drills at dedicated pits or burn pads.
  • Hangar and lab suppression systems capable of dumping high volumes of foam in seconds.
  • Equipment testing (pumps, lines, nozzles) requiring controlled discharges.
  • Certification cycles with frequent repetitions—meaning cumulative exposure for instructors, cadre, and students.

While the training intent was sound, repeated foam releases meant direct skin contact, inhalation of mist or vapor, and environmental runoff that infiltrated soils, storm drains, and shallow groundwater under classrooms, ranges, and dorm areas.

How PFAS Exposure Happens at DoD Schools (Beyond Traditional Firefighting)

A hallmark of DoD training is hands-on practice. Instructors, trainees, and support staff can encounter PFAS in multiple ways—even if they never carried a hoseline:

  1. Live-Fire & ARFF Evolutions

    • Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) courses and vehicle-fuel fire drills commonly used foam. Stand-by crews, evaluators, and students in proximity to the plume faced splash and aerosol exposure.
  2. Hangar / Lab Deluge Systems

    • Some hangars and test bays were outfitted with automatic AFFF systems. Accidental activations and monthly/quarterly tests drenched floors, workbenches, and gear, requiring extensive cleanup.
  3. Mock-Up Simulators and Burn Pits

    • Older training pits sometimes allowed foam to run off into unlined soil or aging storm systems. Repeated evolutions could drive PFAS deeper into campus subsurface layers.
  4. Gear and Facilities Contamination

    • Foam residue can wick into turnouts, boots, gloves, and tools, creating chronic, low-level contact in lockers, shops, and classrooms where gear was stored or dried.
  5. Custodial / Maintenance Exposure

    • Civilian employees and contractors tasked with wash-downs, floor machine cleanup, drain maintenance, and waste handling experienced secondary exposure—often without full protective measures.
  6. Dorms / Family Housing Proximity

    • On some installations, base water systems or down-gradient wells later showed PFAS detections, raising concerns about ingestion exposure for students, instructors, and families living near the training campus.

Bottom line: At a DoD school, exposure wasn’t limited to firefighters. Instructors, safety officers, lab technicians, custodial staff, mechanics, and even classroom support personnel may have meaningful AFFF contact histories.

Why PFAS in AFFF Is a Health Concern

PFAS are highly persistent—they resist breakdown in the environment and accumulate in the human body. They bind to proteins in blood and tissues, can disrupt endocrine and immune signaling, and have been associated with organ damage. In training settings where releases were routine and repeated, body burdens may build over months and years—even if each individual exposure felt minor.

Litigation-Focused Conditions Associated with PFAS Exposure

  • Kidney cancer
  • Testicular cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Thyroid cancer and thyroid disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Prostate cancer

Your claim is not defined by a campus name alone—it’s defined by your exposure evidence, your diagnosis, and a medical nexus opinion that connects the two.

Environmental Footprint: What PFAS Means for Campus Grounds

DoD training centers and schools often feature burn pads, concrete aprons, and drainage channels that move foam away from training areas. Historically, that runoff entered storm systems or percolated into soil, where PFAS can migrate to shallow groundwater. Over time, this may affect:

  • On-base supply wells or nearby community water.
  • Sediment, ditches, and retention ponds used for stormwater control.
  • Adjacent ranges, athletic fields, or work yards where residue settled.

For claim development, publicly available environmental reports (e.g., installation PFAS sampling, Consumer Confidence Reports, remedial investigation documents) can corroborate that a training campus had PFAS detections. Your individual exposure narrative fills the gap between site conditions and your illness.

The AFFF Lawsuit (MDL 2873): What DoD School Personnel Should Know

Thousands of personal-injury cases against AFFF manufacturers are consolidated in MDL 2873 (U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina). The Court is prioritizing injuries with stronger scientific support and using bellwether trials (“test cases”) to guide values for settlements. Large settlements for public water systems have already been approved; personal-injury claims—including those brought by instructors, trainees, and DoD civilian staff—are moving on a separate track.

Key takeaways for DoD training personnel and alumni:

  • Eligibility depends on documented exposure (e.g., training logs, duty assignments, system testing) and a qualifying diagnosis.
  • Damages may include medical costs, lost wages/earning capacity, pain and suffering, and where appropriate, wrongful-death recovery for families.
  • Timing matters—state statutes and MDL proof requirements reward well-documented, timely-filed claims.

How to Build a Strong Claim (Instructor, Student, or Staff)

Even if you’re just beginning, these steps will make your DoD training center AFFF claim more credible and complete:

  1. Service / Employment Records

    • Training center or school name(s), unit/department, dates assigned or enrolled, positions held (e.g., instructor, ARFF cadre, lab tech, custodial).
    • Syllabi, course catalogs, PQS sign-offs, evaluation checklists, or duty rosters showing live-foam evolutions or system tests.
  2. Facility / Environmental Documentation

    • Installation PFAS sampling results; Consumer Confidence Reports; base environmental newsletters; remedial investigation or EA/EIS summaries that mention PFAS.
  3. Medical Documentation

    • Pathology reports, imaging, oncology notes, thyroid panels, colonoscopy/biopsy for ulcerative colitis, and a clear diagnosis date.
  4. Exposure Narrative (Plain-English Timeline)

    • Example: “ARFF live-burns quarterly, 2014–2017; Hangar deluge test July 2016 (accidental full discharge); foam cleanup crew 2015–2018 (weekly wash-downs).”
    • Include PPE used, duration, proximity, and any acute symptoms (skin/eye irritation) during foam events.
  5. Medical Nexus Opinion

    • A treating physician or qualified expert should address whether your condition is at least as likely as not related to PFAS exposure during your training assignment.

Don’t let perfection stop progress. Start with what you have; your legal team can help request records and close gaps.

Who May Be Eligible from DoD Training Environments?

You may qualify if you:

  • Taught, trained, or supported ARFF, shipboard, vehicle, or industrial fire courses using AFFF.
  • Maintained or tested hangar deluge systems, foam pumps, or lines.
  • Performed cleanup, custodial, or maintenance duties after foam discharges.
  • Lived, studied, or worked near training pits or hangars with repeated AFFF activity.
  • Have a diagnosis consistent with litigation-focused conditions (kidney/testicular/liver/thyroid/prostate cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis).

Frequently Asked Questions (DoD Schools & Centers)

I wasn’t a firefighter—do I still have a claim?
 Yes. Many instructors, lab techs, mechanics, and custodial personnel experienced secondary exposure during cleanup, system tests, or accidental foam releases.

My training campus isn’t on a public “PFAS list.” Should I still talk to a lawyer?
 Yes. Public datasets are incomplete. Your individual records and campus-specific documents can still establish exposure.

I trained years ago—am I too late?
 Not necessarily. Filing deadlines vary by state and may relate to diagnosis or discovery. Early review protects your rights.

I later worked as a firefighter or on an airfield. Does that hurt my case?
 It doesn’t prevent a claim. It may broaden your exposure timeline, but training-center exposure can still support personal-injury recovery.

Keefe Law Firm: Representation for Instructors, Students, and DoD Staff

Keefe Law Firm represents service members, veterans, and civilian employees across the country in AFFF litigation. We understand how training campuses operate—why foam was used, where systems were installed, and how exposure pathways extend beyond the live-burn pad. Our mission:

  • Investigate exposure across courses, labs, hangars, and burn sites.
  • Assemble the record—service/employment files, environmental data, and medical proofs.
  • Engage experts to establish causation and quantify damages.
  • Pursue maximum compensation through MDL 2873 and related proceedings.

You trained others to survive worst-case scenarios. You shouldn’t carry the cost of hidden chemical risks.