Firefighters and medics on the front lines are having to reuse masks over and over again.
AGAIN.
CONTACT 5 INVESTIGATORMICHAEL BUCZYNER SPOKE TO ASOUTH FLORIDA FIRE CHIEF ABOUTTHE SUPPLY CHALLENGE AND HOWSHE'S BATTLING IT.“I KNOW THAT PPE SHOULD NOT BEREUSED, BUT IPEOPLE TO REUSE GEAR THATDISPOSABLE” WEST PALM BEACHFIRE CHIEF DIANA MATTY SAYSSHEDECISION..
ASKING HER FIRSTRESPONDERS TO REUSE N-95 MASDURING A PANDEMIC.
MATTY“WEHAVE ENOUGH WHERE WE CAN WEARTHEM FOR 5 CALLS AND THEN THEYGET TO DISPOSE OF IT” CHIEFMATTY TELLS CONTACT 5 THATRIGHT NOW HER DEPARTMENT HASABOUT 4-THOUSAND N-95 MASKSON-HAND.
IF REUSEDÃFOR 5CALLSÃSHE SAYS THE SUPPLYCAN LAST ABOUT 8 WEEKS.
USEDONCE - FOR EACH CALLÃANDIT“WE CANNOT ACCEPT THAT I HAVETO REUSE A MASK, THIS IS ADISPOSABLE ITEM” CHIEF MATTYSAYS PALM BEACH COUNTY HASASSISTED AS BEST IT CAN &GIVING THE DEPARTMENT 1600N-95 MASKS... ALONG WITHTHOUSANDS OF OTHER NECESSARYSUPPLIES.
AN EMAIL OBTAINED BYCONTACT 5 - SHOWS THE COUNTYHAS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN177-THOUSAND MASKS TO FIRSTRESPONDERS, HOSPITALS ANDOTHER ENTITIES SINCE LATMARCH.“AT THIS POINT ITA MONEY THING, ITTHING” 9:55:40: MATTY“WHENWE USED TO PAY 69-75 CENTSAPIECE FOR THESE MASKS AND NOWITS 5 AND 8 DOLLARS APIECE FORMASKS, I WILL DUMP MY ENTIRETRAINING BUDGET TO BUY MASKS,THEYFRANKEL:“THIS IS AN ISSUE ALLOVER THE COUNTRY, SO ITLIKE WE DONLIKE WEASKED CONGRESSWOMAN LOISFRANKEL ABOUT THE SHORTAGEÃADAY AFTER SHE HELD A ZOOMMEETING WITH CHIEF MATTY ANDOTHERS ON THE FRONT LINES.“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DOABOUT THIS” FRANKEL:“IGOING TO DO WHAT IDOING WHICH IS TO CONTINUE,WELET THE LEADERSHIP KNOW THATTHIS IS STILL AN ISSUE”“THEPATIENTS ARE FEARFUL OF WHATGOING ON, THE MEDICS AREFEARFUL OF THE UNKNOWN.
ITVERY COMPLEX ISSUE” MB:“WEALSO CHECKED WITH PB CO FIRERESCUEÃA SPOKESPERSON THEREJUST TOLD ME THEY USE THEMASKS FOR 3 SHIFTS -BEFORETHEYFOR POSSIBLE FUTURESANITATION.
LUCKILY, CHIEFMATTY HERE IN WEST PALM TELLSME NONE OF HE FIREFIGHTERS ORMEDICS HAVE TESTED POSITIVEFOR COVID 19.
IN WEST PALMBEACH, MB, WPTV, NEWS CHANNEL5”
The masks, which are part of an order of 24 million masks, will be given to healthcare workers and first responders.
