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| A Toronto Firefighter wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (2007) photograph by Sherurcij |
We take air and the oxygen it contains for granted, until you need it. Struggling to reach the surface of the ocean as your lungs beg to exhale and breath fresh air, choking on the smoke as you crawl from your burning home, or dry land drowning as your lungs fill with fluid as a toxic cloud drifts through your work place from a terrorist chemical weapons attack.
Needless to say, air is plentiful and very important; you are going to have to spend some money or learn some techniques to use when you need air for an event.
Holding Your Breath
The first technique, I use when swimming underwater. As you hold your breath, carbon dioxide builds up in your lungs. If enough CO2 enters your lungs, your body sends a signal to your brain to breath. If you slowly exhale, a little bit of the air in your lungs, some of the excess carbon dioxide is released. The body's mechanism for releasing CO2 will be temporally overridden, so you can swim a little farther underwater.
Remember opinions, it has worked for me in a non-emergency situation; it might not work for you.
There is a similar method that SCUBA divers use, but this keeps their lungs from bursting. As the diver gets closer to the surface, the air in her lungs expands. The air must be exhaled to keep the lungs from over expanding and bursting. Remember this technique if you ever have to come up from a submerged wreck.
Smoke Hoods
You’re lying in bed and all of a sudden a loud noise sounds.
What's that noise?
It's the fire alarm!
Roll out of bed to the floor. Don't sit up because the hot, toxic smoke from the fire rises to the ceiling. This smoke can disorient you or cause you to pass out. Next, quickly leave the building.
There is more to surviving a fire, but this post is about air.
With that said, you can purchase a smoke hood. These hoods protect you from the toxic gases produced by a house or workplace fire. No matter the type, you want one that has a hood that will cover your head, is compact, and easy to use.
When I researched smoke hoods a couple of years ago, the Evac-U8 was the best smoke hood. It had a hood that was totally clear. Filtered out carbon monoxide, and was easy to put on and seal.
Some of the researched masks had a hood that had a small viewing area, once the mask was on. Since hoods can shift, your view may be blocked as you try to escape. The Evac-U8 has a clear hood. If it shifts, you can still see.
Some masks have a head harness to place the filter by your mouth and nose. The head harness takes practice to use quickly. The Evac-U8 has no head harness. It has a nose piece to close your nose, and the filter that goes in your mouth.
Some smoke hoods don't filter carbon monoxide or are only rated for 5 minutes of protection. The Evac-U8 is good for 15 minutes.
Lastly, the Evac-U8 has a training hood for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of an actual smoke hood, so you and your family can train with a similar mask before you might need it.
With all that praise for the Evac-U8, it has been recalled, by the manufacturer, for all models sold September 2000 to March 2006.
Remember those opinions; the Evac-U8 is near the top of my list for ‘must buys’ for my family.
Protective Masks
Smoke hoods are only good for chemicals produced in a fire. If there is a chemical spill or a chemical weapons attack, you will need a protective mask.
Protective masks are designed to protect the respiratory tract, your esophagus and lungs, and the eyes. Avoid the ones that lack protection for the eyes. Some chemicals, like chlorine, will damage your eyes.
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M17A1 (left) with internal filters and M-40 Protective Mask (right) with external filters
source
United States Army
A protective mask protects you by using a filter. The filter contains a substance, usually activated carbon that traps the dangerous chemicals. Some filters are contained in the mask (internal) and some filters are external. The United States military M17-series (M17, M17A1, and M17A2) protective mask and the soviet M10-M mask have an internal filter. The British S10 and the US M40 protective masks have external filters.
The internal filters are difficult to change. There is also the chance of damaging the mask when changing the filters. You will also need another mask if you plan to change filters in a contaminated environment. The reason, you have to take the mask off to change the filters.
If you know any older US military veterans; ask them how hard it was to change the filters on a M17-series mask. It will be the same for any Warsaw Pact Veterans using the M10-M protective mask.
The external filters are the easiest to change. Hold your breath, unscrew the filter, screw a new filter on, and then clear the mask. 30 seconds or less and you’re done.
You can spend varying amounts of money for a protective mask anywhere from $30 for a surplus Israeli civilian mask to $300 for a new MSA Millennium CBRN protective mask.
Some people will tell you to completely and totally avoid surplus masks. Some people, I'm one of them, will tell you that surplus masks are OK. They are reasonably safe if you know what to inspect for before purchasing a surplus protective mask. I provide a sample inspection in Appendix C, for this chapter.
If you and your family buy brand-new protective masks, you will need to replace these masks every 15 to 20 years and possibly sooner, depending on the mask's shelf-life. Same with the filters, but filters last only about 10 years.
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ER 2000 CBRN Escape Hood
by
Honeywell
OK. You don't have lots of money. You could buy an escape hood. These hoods are basic, bare bones protective masks. They get you out of the area.
And that is the idea. As a citizen, if a terrorist chemical weapon attack happens, you protect yourself and get out of the area. Leave the clean-up for the trained experts this includes industrial chemical spills.
And this brings up my next point. You don't need to buy a protective mask or a smoke hood. You may just need to know the behavior of smoke and chemical agents. (Chemical agent is the military term for the small group of chemicals that militaries use to cause incapacitation or death)
Response to a Chemical Weapons Attack
Smoke will rise to the top of a room. If you crawl on your hands and knees or do a belly crawl, you can avoid breathing smoke from a fire. If you are outside, you can move away from the fire’s smoke.
Chemical agents behave differently. They are usually heavier than air, so they will sink to the bottom of a room. If the attack is on the first floor, move to the top floor, the higher the better. If you are in a warehouse, climb the ladder towards the roof or get on a scissor lift and raise the lift to its highest position.
Don't go into the basement, subway, or other below ground area during a chemical attack because the chemical agents will usually settle to the lowest area.
Recently, in the last 30 years, a group of school children were visiting a World War I battleground. I think in Belgium or France. Some of the school children entered a foxhole or below-ground bunker; they died or were injured from 80 year-old chemical weapon’s residue, from World War I.
Next, some chemical agents have a certain smell. I heard a joke one time. "If you smell new mown hay, you're going to die anyway."
This is true and false. Chemicals must be at a certain concentration to harm you, but you will also have to use your other senses to detect a chemical attack or spill.
The Rand Corporation has a report called "Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks." This report has some suggestions on surviving a terrorist's chemical weapon attack.
Their recommendations:
If you're outside and start seeing people falling over for no reason, Run!
But where do you run to? Rand suggests moving to the closest building, close off the outside air by closing all window and doors and turning off the heating and cooling system and if possible move to a higher floor in the building, find an inside room or office and seal the room. You can use rags, rugs, paper towels, toilet paper; even your clothes to seal the room. (Better to be naked then dead) Save your shoes. You will probably need to walk to get help after the attack.
If you have access to plastic sheeting and duct tape, you need to use these items to seal the room.
The same recommendation also pertains if you hear a loud "Pop" and see smoke or vapors. You and your family need to run away from the smoke or vapors, at a right angle! Running at a right angle, to the smoke or vapors, will get your family quickly out of the potential path of the chemical. Needless to say, you also need to follow the recommendations above.
If you are already inside, and a chemical weapons attack happens inside a building; like a shopping mall, airport, office building, or other structure; the Rand Corporation recommendations you and your family open the windows to breathe fresh air. If you can, since most chemical weapons are heavier than air, move to the roof or evacuate the building to fresh air.
Either type of attack will require you to seek help, so you can decontaminate by removing your clothing and showering with soap and water.
Guess what; there is a problem. The expensive mask you bought or didn't buy might not protect you from an industrial chemical spill, because filters are design for certain chemicals.
Guess what, again? The industrial chemical spill may be so concentrated the mask and filter are overwhelmed by the chemicals. If you live near a gas pipeline, railroad tracks, a rail yard, interstate highway, chemical plant, or other industrial area, you might need to buy a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for everyone in the family.
Flu Protection
The protective mask will also protect you from biological weapons or the flu, but a $200 chemical protective mask is too expensive for protection from the flu virus. Plus, you will need a lot of expensive protective mask filters because the filters will need to be changed after every outing. With that said, there are inexpensive masks such as the N95 mask by 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) that may help protect you and your family from the flu.
3M isn’t the only manufacturer of these masks, so you and your family will see a variety of colors and models. Probably the best one for protection will have two elastic straps attached to the top and bottom of the mask, a moisture release valve on the mask’s front, and a thin metal bar near the top; where your nose will be when you wear a N95 mask.
To provide the best flu protection, the thin, pliable metal bar is ‘pinched,’ so a tight seal is formed around the top of the nose. The top elastic strap is placed around the wearer’s head, above the ears, and the lower strap is placed around the head, and below the wearer’s ears.
The recommendation is to use a new N95 mask every day, so everyone who leaves the house needs a N95 mask. Do the math and buy them now, if you are preparing for a flu pandemic, because once a flu emergency starts there will be no masks at any price.
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Front of N-95 Particle Respirator Valve (Left) and Inside of N-95 Particle Respirator (Right)
Homemade or Improvised Methods
There are some homemade or other methods of providing air for you and your family. These methods lack certain criteria needed to totally protect you from a chemical spill or attack.
One is called extra air. It is used by scuba divers in emergencies, if their main tank runs out of air. The extra-air tank is a smaller tank strapped to the scuba divers main tank, like the picture provided by XS Scuba a supplier of extra-air tanks.
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Extra-Air Tank strapped to a SCUBA tank
by
XS Scuba
The extra-air tank also has a limited air supply, usually counted in tens of minutes. Plus, this method lacks protection for the eyes from a chemical attack or accident; however, eye protection might be improvised by using a scuba mask to provide a low-cost method of eye protection.
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Pesticide Respirator
By
Honeywell
Another method of filtering air for personal use is called respirators. They are protective masks that only cover the mouth and nose; they are usually used in industrial applications, such as spray painting, spraying pesticides, or protection from large particles. These respirators have no eye protection. Wearing goggles or other eye protection with air holes or foam will still leave your eyes exposed to chemical agents or harmful industrial chemicals because these goggles allow air to enter, harming your eyes. Plus, the filters are only designed to trap large particles, not chemical warfare gases.
The last method is a dust mask described in the book Nuclear War Survival Skills. The dust mask is a soviet design to protect a person from breathing radioactive fallout after a nuclear strike. They offer no protection from chemical agents or industrial chemicals; however, the dust mask may protect you from dust from an explosion, building collapse, dust storm, or exploding volcano.
Appendix A: Common Mistakes
The biggest common mistake that preppers make is failing to understand that fire and its smoke is probably the number one threat to their family’s lives.
Yep, a house fire!
So make sure, you place a fire alarm or smoke detector on each level of your home, draw up an evacuation plan, and practice getting out of the house. If your family heats your home with natural gas, propane, kerosene, or burn wood, you need to install a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector, too.
Another common mistake is failing to identify the possible sites for a chemical accident or spill in your neighborhood. Chemical spills can be from an overturned tanker truck on the interstate, a local manufacturer spilling an industrial solvent in their plant, or a leaking toxic or flammable gas pipeline or storage warehouse.
Needless to say, the local fire department will be able to help your family identify any dangerous chemical sites in your neighborhood. You will have to make an effort to talk to them on a regular basis because companies might move in and out of your area.
If you live near a large industrial facility, you may want to consider moving out of the area.
Why?
There was an industrial accident in Bhopal, India. A chemical factory ‘accidently’ released a deadly heavier-than-air industrial chemical that settled in the valley, below the factory. Over 2,000 people died in their sleep because the factory’s safety system failed. Another 500,000 people were exposed to the chemical in the accident.
The last common mistake is failing to understand that a house fire is probably the number one threat that preppers should be prepared for. Yes, I know, I repeated myself.
Remember, fire and its resulting smoke is probably the number one threat for preppers and their family, especially a house fire, so you and your family should immediately purchase a smoke detector for each level of your home. If you can’t afford two or three smoke detectors, buy at least one smoke detector and mount it in the same hallway as your family’s bedrooms. If you’re really strapped for money, contact the local fire department, they may have free or low-cost smoke detectors for you and your family.
Appendix B: Other Information
Recommended Location for Smoke Detectors
One of the first things, you and your family need to do to prepare for an event is to install smoke detectors. If you have limited funds and can purchase only one smoke detector, you need to install the detector by your family’s bedrooms.
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Smoke Detector Locations for a Two-Story Home
If you have a little more money, these alarms should be emplaced on each level of your home this includes the basement. The basement alarm should be mounted, on the ceiling, at the foot of the basement stairs. The first floor smoke detector, if that floor doesn’t have bedrooms, should also be mounted on the ceiling by the stairwell. If the first floor has bedrooms, the smoke alarm should be mounted in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Of course, the second floor hallway, with any bedrooms, should also have a smoke detector mounted to the ceiling.
If you have even more money or a very large home, smoke detectors should be installed in every bedroom and the hallway leading to the bedrooms, along with one smoke detector on each floor.
Most newly built homes have the ultimate smoke detector emplacement already installed. If you don’t have a newer home, this emplacement can be duplicated by having a fire alarm on each floor, at the foot and top of each stairway, in each bedroom, and all of these alarms hard wired to each other. Wiring the alarms together, make all the alarms sound at the same time when one of the smoke detectors detects smoke or heat from a fire, depending on the model.
Creating a Fire Evacuation Plan
Basically a fire evacuation plan is how to safely get out of your home and to a gathering place, so you and your partner can account for everyone in the family.
To create a fire evacuation plan, the first thing you and your family want to do is identify two routes out of each room in your home then two routes out of the house. For bedrooms, these two routes are usually the bedroom’s door and the window. The bedroom window, usually, leads directly outside. Most bedroom doors will lead into a hallway. You and your family will then determine the quickest route out of your home from there.
…
Evacuation Plan for a Two-Story Home
After determining how to quickly get out of the house, your family needs to designate an assembly point that is away from the house. The assembly point may be the end of the driveway, the next door neighbor’s driveway, or some other safe place away from approaching rescue service vehicles, like fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances.
Lastly, you and your family will need to practice the fire evacuation plan. The best way to practice, especially with small children, is to practice in small steps. First, with your help, you and your partner lead the children through the evacuation plan, step-by-step, talking them through the steps of getting out of the house. Second time around, once again with your help, your children pretend they are in bed, as you or your partner presses the smoke alarm test button, to sound the alarm. As the alarm sounds, the family evacuates the house. The third time your family practice, your children evacuate the house using the easiest route and go to the assembly point, by themselves with you and your partner watching and correcting the children, as needed. The fourth practice session, you or your partner sound the alarm, your family practices another route out of the house then go to the assembly point. Lastly, you and your family practice evacuating your home at least twice a year; the same time you change your homes smoke detector batteries or the changing of clocks at daylight savings time and back to standard time.
There are some warnings; you need to know about. First, small children and older adults may sleep through a fire alarm, so you may have to wake them to insure their evacuation. Next, children and some adults have never heard a fire alarm, especially the one in your home, so when your family practices, you need to activate your family’s smoke alarm. Another concern, you and your family will need to practice using the fire ladders; you bought to evacuate out of your home’s second story windows. Lastly, fire is probably the number one threat to your family’s survival, so you need to educate your family about this danger.
Recommended Location for Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Each carbon monoxide detector manufacturer will have a small sheet of instructions for mounting the detector. The instructions will give specific recommendations on where to mount the carbon monoxide detector.
How to evacuate a group of people with one mask and external filters for everyone else
One person wears the protective mask. Everybody lines up single file behind her. Everyone else puts the screw end of the opened filter in their mouth and holds the filter with one hand.
Their other hand holds on to a long rope, belts hooked together, or sheets torn into strips to make a long rope. Everybody, except the person wearing the protective mask, closes their eyes.
No breathing through the nose. You have to breathe, using your mouth, through the filter, so you may want to plug your nose with something that doesn't allow you to breathe through your nose. The person wearing the mask leads everyone out of danger.
A variation is to form a single line and hold on to the shoulder or belt of the person in front of you. But, if a person in line dies, that person will release their grip on the person in front of them. Anyone behind the dead person will lose contact with the person wearing the mask.
Needless to say, I would do this only as a very, very, very, very last resort. It sounds scary just typing about this technique.
Oxygen or Air
When I was doing some research about building and supplying a nuclear blast shelter, I looked at supplying air to an air tight shelter. One of my sources suggested using oxygen cylinders to supply oxygen (O2). The cylinders would be stored under the floor of the steel tank shelter.
I thought it was a good idea because I can obtain O2 cylinders from a local welding supply house, cheap.
Until, I was watching television, one night.
The show, I was watching, was about the early United States space program. During the television show, the narrator talked about the Apollo One disaster and the resulting accident review board
According to the review board, one of the many reasons LTC Virgil I. Grissom, USAF; LTC Edward H. White, II, USAF; and LTC Roger B. Chaffee, USN died was because 100% oxygen had been used as the cabin air supply, in the space capsule. This 100% oxygen atmosphere allowed fire to spread very rapidly in the command module.
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Edward H. White II (left), Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom (center), and Roger B. Chaffee (right)
source
National Space and Aeronautics Administration
So, guess what?
If my family decides to stock an underground shelter with air tanks, we will use regular air, just like most SCUBA divers.
Appendix C: Inspecting a Protective Mask
Before you purchase a surplus protective mask, determine the store’s return policy. Most surplus military equipment companies have a “No Return” policy on protective masks. There is a reason for that policy; most surplus protective masks are junk, or they are being sold as memorabilia.
Next, before you buy, carefully read the description of the protective mask or ask the seller to give you a general idea about the mask. As you read the description or listen to the seller describe the protective mask, I want you to ask some questions.
First, how old is the mask? 20, 30, 40, 50 years old, don’t buy it. What country used it? The soviet union, Russia, or some other former communist country, don’t buy it. What size filter screw end does it use? 60-millimeter, don’t buy it because the international standard is a 40-mm screw end. Lastly, does the mask have a hose connecting the filter to the mask? You guessed it; don’t buy the mask.
Next, look the mask over. Is everything there? If the mask is missing anything (You might not be able to tell, or you might depending on the mask), don’t buy the mask.
Is it dirty? Smells like mold, mildew, or plain ol’ funky smelling? If it does, you’re going to need to clean the protective mask.
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Rubber Tabs and Buckles
Next gently pull on the ‘rubber’ tabs that hold the head harness. The head harness is the thing that goes behind your head. It holds the mask to your face. If you see any cracks, rips or tears in the head harness’ ‘rubber’ tabs, don’t buy the mask.
After you do that, check the buckles for bent, broken, and for proper function (should not slip when holding the head harness straps) If not, don’t buy the protective mask.
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Face Piece (interior) and Face Piece (exterior)
Next check the face piece. This is the mask itself. Any holes, cuts, rips, tears, splits, soft or sticky spots from dry rot, don’t buy the mask.
...
Outlet Valve (light portion under ‘spider web’ in middle of picture) and Outlet Valve Cover
Next check the outlet valve disk. The outlet valve disk or disks closes when you breathe in and opens when you breathe out. You will usually find it around the mouth area on the outside or inside the protective mask. Make sure the outlet valve is present then gently take your finger and make sure the valve spins and does not stick.
The outlet valve should also be flat, not curled or distorted. Some outlet valves are shaped like a cup, so be careful looking at the shape of the valve. If the outlet valve is curled, distorted, cut, and/or missing, don’t purchase the protective mask. Unless, you can buy a replacement.
Inlet Valve
Next check the inlet valve. The inlet valve is usually near the nose or where the filter is connected to the protective mask. Make sure the outlet valve is flat, not curled, distorted, cut or missing. If the inlet valve is curled, distorted, cut, or missing. Don’t buy it, if you can’t purchase a replacement inlet valve.
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Check Lens for Scratches and Discoloration and the Protective Mask’s Head Harness
Next check the lens. The lenses allow you to see when you are wearing the mask. Any major scratches, broken lens, discoloration or missing lens, send the mask back.
The last item I will suggest you to check is the head harness. Some head harnesses have nets, and some have pads with 6 to 8 straps coming off the pad. These straps attach to the tabs on the face piece. Insure the head harness has an even number of straps, free of cuts, tears, missing straps, or loss of elasticity. If you can't get a replacement, don’t purchase the mask.
Check any of the equipment that came with the mask. Does it have a hood? The hood should be free of holes, tears, rips or falling apart. Does it have a carrying bag? The bag should be free of holes, rips, tears, frays, and any other damage. If you can't get replacements, don’t buy it.
This is a basic inspection of a mask. If any mask new or surplus fails any of the above requirements, if it’s possible, immediately return the mask to the company you bought the mask from. Don't use this as an excuse to return a mask that has been in your possession for a year or that you screwed up.
The next thing you want to do is check the filters. Masks with internal filters are difficult to check. Be careful! Removing the filters from a M17-series mask and a M10-M mask can destroy the face piece; additionally, the filter may have mold and mildew from being wet.
If you decide to buy the surplus mask or keep it, you will need new filters for the protective mask.
Why?
Filters, once opened, are only good for a few days to a couple of weeks. The M17 series and M10-M protective masks are over 20 years old; an opened filter is probably at least that old.
External filters will also need to be changed, before you use the surplus mask. To check an external filter, make sure the can is free of dents, cracks, rust, and is still sealed. Once a filter is opened; once again, it is only good for few days to a couple of weeks.
As you can tell, by now, finding a serviceable surplus mask is almost impossible this includes the Israeli German-made protective masks.
Generally, the Israeli masks you see for sell are returns or surplus. The Israeli government supplies protective masks to its citizens in times of emergency. Once the emergency is over or the mask is returned; they are put into storage. Once the shelf-life is reached, the masks and filters are sold as surplus.
Appendix D: Buying a Protective Mask
A protective mask is a specialized piece of equipment. Before, you purchase a mask you and your partner must answer the question: Do you really need protective masks for the family?
Why?
Because protective masks, may not protect you. Let me explain, by telling you about three recent incidents.
On January 6th, 2005 two trains collide releasing a toxic cloud of chlorine gas. Nine people died
On July 3rd, 2007, a man climbed into a manure holding pit. Think of it as a very big septic tank that is uncovered. The methane gas, in the pit, displaced the oxygen. The man was overcome by the gas. His wife, two daughters, and another man tried to rescue him. They also died.
In the winter of 2007-2008, a man was using a gasoline powered concrete saw to cut a hole in a basement floor. He built a plastic sheeting enclosure to reduce the amount of dust in the basement. He was overcome by a build-up of carbon monoxide from operating the gasoline-powered saw in the enclosed space. He died.
In only one of these cases, could a chemical protective mask have averted the people’s deaths, using the correct type of mask and filters. In the other two situations, a mask would have failed to save these people. Only by using proper enclosed space procedures (knowledge and caution) would the last two set of folks have probably survived.
With that said, let me tell you about purchasing a protective mask.
Where to Buy
I was amazed when I learned that local police and firefighting supply stores may have protective masks for purchase. Instead of the internet, you might be able to use the phonebook and a telephone to find a protective mask near you.
Of course, the internet is probably the best place to purchase your protective mask. There are a couple of companies selling these masks. If you want a couple of direct links, you will need to go to this chapter's 'Additional Resources' page
Which Mask to Purchase
There are many different protective masks. Depending on your budget, will determine where you and your family start looking.
Probably the most inexpensive protective mask is the Israeli German-made civilian protective mask. It is readily available, as a surplus mask. Sometimes, new masks will appear on the market, but they are uncommon and comparatively expensive.
The Israeli civilian protective mask is rugged and barebones. I consider it the basic protective mask. That’s why I can recommend the mask, even if it is a surplus mask, after inspecting it of course.
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A Student Checks an Israeli Protective Mask
by
Israel Defense Forces from Wikicommons
As you can see, the Israeli German-made civilian protective mask is a molded, one piece mask with two small eye lens without lens covers. The head harness is an elastic material attached to the mask with buckles. It has a filter and a basic outlet valve. If you wear glasses, you will have to take your glasses off to wear the mask. There are no prescription lens inserts for this mask.
Needless to say, there is a difference between a bare bones mask and a more expensive mask.
As your budget increases, the wear-ability and ease of breathing increase. This is important because you and your family will be able to comfortably wear the mask. Some internet sources have wear-ability ratings for their protective masks.
Another important consideration is being able to see. You will need to determine if you want a wrap-around visor or individual eye lens. Just like it sounds, a wrap-around visor is a single piece of clear plastic. Masks with individual eye lens have one lens for each eye to look through. Either type is fine; however, I prefer having separate eye lens. The reason, early in their development, protective masks with visors lost the seal around the large single lens, allowing air to leak in.
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M-40 (left) with separate eye lens and MCU-2P (right) with wraparound lens
source
United States Navy
If you wear glasses, the more expensive masks have the ability to mount prescription lens inside the mask with an adaptor, for an additional charge.
Another consideration is buying or not buying a mask with a drinking tube. A drinking tube allows the protective mask wearer to drink water through the tube, similar to sucking on a straw, from a canteen with a specially designed and rated canteen top. Of course, you must purchase the specially adapted canteen top to safely use the drinking tube during a chemical weapons attack or accident.
Since most preppers have never served in the military, I learned the local police and fire departments may have protective masks for responding to chemical weapons attacks. If you know a police officer or fire fighter, you might ask about the type and brand their department purchased, and how do they like it.
Of course, fire fighters and police officers may have access to these United States protective masks. The military-grade masks are usually the most expensive because they are mistakenly sought after by prepper, survivalists, and military reenactors.
My Choice
When I was looking for protective masks for my family, I did an internet search. I read a lot of information about the various types of masks, over the course of a few months. I also ordered a few surplus masks.
I finally decided on the M-95 protective mask. The mask has a shelf-life of 20 years, large eye lens, and the ability to mount a filter on either the left or right side of the mask. The M-95 uses the common and standard 40 mm filter; it is easy to wear for a long time and has the ability to verbally communicate.
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M-95 Protective Mask with Three Filters
There is a down side to this mask. The family must practice using the M-95 mask. It is not a chemical attack escape hood that requires little or no practice to use. An M-95 mask is a military-type protective mask; it has a distinctive look. An escape hood comes in a nondescript package that can be carried in a backpack or large purse.
Remember your threat analysis when choosing your family’s protective mask and filter.
Which Filter to Purchase
After buying a protective mask, you will need to buy spare filters for your anticipated emergency. If you live near a chlorine gas pipeline, you need to have a filter rated for chlorine gas. If you are planning for a chemical weapons attack by a terrorists or foreign military, you will need a filter rated for the military chemical weapons.
Expired Protective Mask Filter
Your family can usually purchase appropriate spare filters from the same store that sold you the protective mask. Remember surging! During a crisis, involving chemical weapons, there will be a rush to purchase masks and filters, so you need to budget for your mask’s spare filters when you purchase the protective mask, not after.
Filter Size and Duration of Protection
As I mentioned earlier, the international standard for protective mask filters is a 40 mm screw end. The filter body, the container that holds the ‘stuff’ that absorbs the toxic chemicals, is usually plastic for civilian-grade filters and metal for military-grade filters.
Before I continue, as far as I know, there is no difference between military and civilian filters except the military filters are more rugged. Something you and your family probably don’t need.
Next, protective mask filters only last so long once exposed to chemical agents. Usually, the actual size of the filter will determine how long the filter will protect you. So, the bigger the filter the longer the filter will protect you. Plus, most filters may have a different time limit for each type of chemical weapon.
To determine your filter’s time limit, either contact the filter’s manufacturer or the original seller of the protective mask’s filter. This information, for newer filters, can also be found on the internet.
Additional Equipment and Supplies
If you buy a protective mask, you will need a carrier and spare filters. Remember the filters last only so long when you are in a chemical environment. You might need to change the filter as you evacuate the area. You will also need a protective mask carrier big enough to hold a spare filter or two.
I also suggest, as you look for a protective mask carrier, to buy a carrier that is easy to open. The quicker you can put your mask on, the better, during a chemical weapons attack.
Once again, depending on your threat analysis, you may need to look into purchasing a hood for your protective mask and a chemical protective suit. The protective mask hood is usually made out of an impermeable material, such as rubber-coated nylon. Some protective masks don’t have a hood because that government uses a hood attached to the chemical protective suit.
Chemical protective suits are made, basically, two ways. The first method is an impermeable material, kind of like a rubber suit. These suits are hot, very hot. The second method is an outer breathable material with a liner of material that absorbs chemicals; it is also hot. These breathable suits have a useable life of about 20 to 30 days, once removed from their protective packaging.
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Finish Army ‘Rubber’ Impermeable Protective Suit (left) and U.S. Army ‘breathable’ Protective Suit (right)
by
MKFI from Wikicommons (left) and A1C Stacia Willis, USAF (right)
If you buy a protective suit, you will need to purchase the boots and gloves that go with the suit
Improvising a Chemical Suit
To improvise a chemical warfare protective suit, you may be able to purchase rain boots, rubber gloves, and a rain suit with hood, but these items may possibly allow chemical warfare agents to reach your skin.
You have been warned.
Practice, Practice, and More Practice
It is getting time to order new masks for my family. I will buy the same type of mask. I will save one of the old masks as a trainer, so my family and I can train putting the mask on and taking the mask off. I will also save the others as backups for unexpected guest that don't have masks or as masks to be possibly stored at work or school.
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