Wildfires Flare Up Demand for OCTO® Respirator Mask

Clean Air Day is just around the corner on OCTOber 8. This day was started in the U.K., but it’s being commemorated in different ways around the globe now. In California for example, Oct. 7 has become the local Clean Air Day. Regardless of where you live, Clean Air Day is more than a one-day observation; It’s a call to action for long-term health and wellness.

As we publish this blog, fires are raging. The Western United States is breaking out with wildfires in numerous states. California alone has already burned through millions of acres …and counting. In Greece, fires at a refugee camp left 13,000 people without shelter. Earlier this year, Australia dealt with its own widespread wildfire problem.

With so many people literally in the line of fire, the need for clean and breathable air is more important than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic made clean air a mainstream topic, with mask mandates in effect worldwide to curb the virus’ spread and filter harmful pathogens in the air. What many don’t understand, however, is that the need for effective face coverings and masks is far greater than the current pandemic.

We began our journey of creating the OCTO® Respirator Mask (ORM) before COVID-19 was an issue. Healthcare professionals found N95 respirator masks to be too uncomfortable during the SARS epidemic, and many lost their lives because they couldn’t stand wearing them. Construction, mining and other industrial workers aren’t breathing clean air comfortably when using N95 respirator masks. The federal government outlined 28 specific ways respirator masks needed to improve, but years went by and nobody stepped up to the plate. That’s why we created the OCTO® Respirator Mask (ORM), a comfortable, reusable elastomeric respirator mask. The need for it was already there.

Right now, pandemic aside, firefighters and first responders are putting their lives at great risk to combat the wildfires, while the people living in these areas are ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Beyond the immediate danger of coming face-to-face with the harmful wildfire smoke and flames, the long-term risks associated with breathing smoke filled air are a clear and present danger that few people are even thinking about. The OCTO® Respirator Mask (ORM) is a solution that can be implemented immediately, by professionals and lay people alike.

Tens of thousands of people have already been evacuated from their homes due to these fires, and many others anxiously wait to see if they’re next. When evacuations are called, we believe access to clean air should be the least of anyone’s worries, which is why the OCTO® Respirator Mask (ORM) is a vital addition to your emergency go-bag. No one should have to wonder if the air they’re breathing is safe while trying to rush out of their homes.

As always, keep updated with your local news and follow the advice of authorities. But if you live in a wildfire zone, or you know someone who does, consider the OCTO® Respirator Mask (ORM) to eliminate any concern about your most basic need: clean air.