Gas
masks offer peace of mind, safety
By Daniel Frias
On-line Forty-Niner
 With
the recent threat of a possible nuclear
and biological attack, many people in the
United States are buying gas masks to protect
themselves.
“I
know for a fact they work,” University Police
Lt. Michael Bolden said. “I trained with
them as an officer and in the Army Reserve.
I know they work.”
Protective
masks have filters and disks that block
out chemicals and let you breathe oxygen
in and out. The main purpose of the mask
is to “be able to breathe in a contaminated
environment,” Bolden said.
“It’s
a fine piece of equipment,” Lt Colonel Melvin
K. Pasley said. “It’s designed to protect
our soldiers against biological or chemical
agents.”
Gas
masks can be purchased at Army surplus stores
and on the Internet. The prices range from
as low as $20 to $1,000 depending on the
type of mask. Although these protective
masks work, Bolden said there are a lot
of things to know about them before purchase.
“You
have to be careful,” Bolden said. “Anybody
can manufacture a mask. It’s just like any
other product. When you purchase a mask
you have to able to test it and see how
it works.”
“If
you buy a mask, it has to fit your face,”
Bolden said. “If any air can get through
then the mask is useless. You have to be
able to breathe and not have the biological
or chemical [agents] get in your lungs.
Once you breathe it in, you’re already contaminated.”
These
agents can take minutes or sometimes days
to take effect. Depending on the agent used
and its level of concentration, the consequences
could be deadly.
Bolden
identified filters to be another problem
when purchasing a mask.
“How
long do the filters last? Where do you get
them replaced? Can you get them replaced?
How much does it cost? These are all questions
you need to know before purchasing a mask,”
Bolden said.
He
suggests that just buying a gas mask is
not good enough.
“I
only recommend a gas mask if people have
an understanding of the operation of the
mask,” Bolden said. “When to put it on and
when to take it off. Otherwise why waste
your money.”
There
are several other agents the public needs
to know about other than biological and
chemical. Blister agents get into the skin
and are just as deadly.
Pasley
said the public shouldn’t worry too much
about the threat of biological or chemical
attacks.
“There
is a lot of concern where there is no need
for concern,” Pasley said. “I don’t think
we have that kind of threat here in the
U.S. It’s not that big an issue.”
“The
main purpose of terrorism is to put fear
into us,” Pasley said. “I have the up most
confidence in our government in dealing
with the situation. Like the famous quote
says ‘we have nothing to fear, but fear
itself.’”
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