Protect Firefighters Initiative

MaskTogetherAmerica launched a “Protect Firefighters Initiative” after seeing some LA firefighters battle urban wildfires without mask protection from the toxic air

Cancer, heart disease and mental health disorders are top causes of death among firefighters after exposures to toxins, carcinogens, poisonous smoke, gases and particulates during fires and the cleanup afterwards. Firefighters need protective equipment that won't restrict mobility, and is wearable for long hours.

We reached out to the American Medical Manufacturers Association to seek their collaboration. We are grateful that two AMMA members have generously matched the funding from our Founder Julie Lam—Eddie Phanichkul, CEO of Lutema/VIDA and co-founder of the AMMA, and Claudio Dente president of Dentec Safety Specialists president of Together, we are offering to the LA mayor’s office and the Board of Supervisors a donation of 780 Comfort-Air® 400 series Elastomeric respirators with P100 Multiple Gases/Vapor Filter Cartridges, valued at over $15,000. This respirator/filter combination protects against acid gases, ammonia, chlorine, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, methyl amine, organic vapors, sulfur dioxide, chlorine dioxide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen — within the recommended exposure levels for half mask respirators.

We are hoping to provide each of the 34 stations of LA firefighters involved in the major ongoing fires with another valuable option besides SCBA specialized respirators attached to heavy oxygen tanks, which only last for 30-45 minutes.

We hope this educational initiative inspires more firefighters to use breathable, lightweight and highly protective elastomeric respirators. We also hope people—when they see firefighters wearing PPE— will start to avoid exposure to wildfire smoke and wear N95 or P100 respirator masks. Role-modeling is an effective educational tool. And we hope in this crisis, that more American manufacturers will donate respirators and protective P100/gas filters to the firefighters and all the people working or living in severely polluted areas.