Preliminary Exposure Reduction (PER) is the first, on-scene cleaning step after firefighters have been exposed to smoke, soot, and other fireground contaminants. Under NFPA 1850 – the consolidated standard for PPE and SCBA selection, care, and maintenance – PER is the required on-scene process for reducing contamination on the outside of gear immediately after incident operations. In plain terms, it replaces what many departments used to call “gross decon,” and formalizes it as a standard part of your cancer-reduction program. 

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In practice, PER typically means low-pressure, low-volume water with an appropriate, neutral-pH cleaner, applied from head to toe while the firefighter stays on air, followed by bagging gear for transport and advanced cleaning back at the station. IAFF and cancer-prevention guidance show that effective PER can remove up to ~85% of contamination from the outer shell of PPE and that adding wipes to the neck, face, and hands further reduces skin load. PER doesn’t replace extractor washing or advanced decon, but it dramatically cuts what you bring into the cab, station, and home, and NFPA 1850 now treats it as a core element of modern PPE care.