How to educate fire departments about the environmental and health risks of fluorinated fire-fighting foams? That was the main problem the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) was facing after the listing of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in the Stockholm Convention in 2009. The fact is that fluorinated fire-fighting foams can pose a risk to the environment, but there is a lack of knowledge about this reality, in particular about the risks of the foam ingredients for users. In order to educate about the risks associated with the use of fluorinated foams, the UBA established a working group consisting of producers and users of fluorinated fire-fighting foams, associations of fire fighters and UBA representatives. This working group developed a guide on fluorinated foams that has been distributed via the internet and on several UBA events.