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the basics

Clean Air


Some potential emergencies could send tiny microscopic "junk" into the air.

  • Flooding/Water Related - airborne mold
  • Explosion - very fine debris that can cause lung damage.
  • Biological Terrorist Attack - germs that can make you sick if inhaled or absorbed through open cuts.
    • Many of these agents can only hurt you if they get into your body
    • Create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.

Nose and Mouth Protection

  • Hardware stores have face masks
  • Dense-Weave cotton is an option but must snugly covers your nose and mouth
  • VIP: the air you breathe should come through a mask or cloth, not around it. Adjust accordingly for children.
  • Simple cloth face masks can filter some of the airborne particulates or germs you could inhale, but will probably not protect you from chemical gases.
  • Limiting how much foreign matter is inhaled may impact whether or not you get sick or develop disease.

Barriers for Staying Put

Create a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as "shelter-in-place," is a matter of survival. This will be determined by the local authorities if large amounts of debris in the air, or if say the air is badly contaminated.

To create a barrier, you will need the following:

  • Heavyweight plastic garbage bags or plastic sheeting
  • Duct tape
  • Scissors
  • Tape up windows, doors and air vents if you need to seal off a room from outside contamination.
  • ADVANCE PREPARATION - Consider pre cutting and labeling these materials – this will save time when it counts.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration) Filter Fans

Consider a portable air purifier, with a HEPA filter, to help remove contaminants from the room where you are sheltering. These highly efficient filters have small sieves that can capture very tiny particles, including some biological agents. Once trapped within a HEPA filter contaminants cannot get into your body and make you sick. While these filters are excellent at filtering dander, dust, molds, smoke, biological agents and other contaminants, they will not stop chemical gases.



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