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Jul 23, 2023Becker County deputies will be able to breathe easy in new gas masks, thanks to $10,000 grant
Apr 14, 2024Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Becker County Chief Deputy Shane Richard as Shane Mercer. This article has been updated to correct the error.
DETROIT LAKES — All sorts of potentially hazardous things move by rail in the United States — crude oil, radioactive material, explosives, and sometimes even highly toxic chemicals like methyl bromide, ethyl trichlorosilane, methanol, sodium chlorate, sulfuric acid, chlorine and toluene diisocyanate.
If there’s a derailment and a leak, it’s up to local law enforcement and firefighters to handle the emergency, which could include evacuating the neighborhood.
Now at least some Becker County sheriff’s officers will be able to say goodbye to their old-style gas masks: A $10,000 donation from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Foundation means the 24-person department will be able to purchase a number of new high-quality gas masks.
These full-face gas masks are made by Avon Protection Systems and they cover the mouth, nose and eyes to protect first responders from chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear hazards.
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They use replaceable canisters to filter hazards from the air, and the lens and seal prevent hazards from reaching the face and eyes.
Gas masks are always going to be cumbersome to wear, but the new ones are more user-friendly than the older-style gas masks the department now uses, said Becker County Chief Deputy Shane Richard.
“The old ones are more like the old World War II gas masks — two fish eyes. The field of vision is really poor,” he said. “These have bigger lenses and a better field of view — it’s like looking through a periscope on the old ones.”
The older gas masks were designed primarily for riot control and were donated by the state, he said.
The county can buy the Avon C50 masks for about $600 apiece, and that includes an add-on that will allow deputies to drink from a camel-style backpack while wearing the mask.
The sheriff’s office actually submitted a “wish list” totaling about $50,000 to the BNSF Foundation. That would have provided 33 of the Avon C50 masks (to cover bailiffs and other emergency personnel in a disaster), extra cartridge filters for the masks, small emergency medical bags that clip to a deputy’s belt or vest, and several large bags with extensive medical provisions inside.
Although it didn’t get everything it asked for, Richard said the department is grateful for the grant and said “we’re going to make the $10,000 go as far as we can.”
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