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FDNY report: 9/11 responders used improper masks, respirators

Emergency Management Alert, September 24, 2007

We've heard many reports of the respiratory illnesses among rescue workers who responded to the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11, but few of these stories offered hard numbers on who wore what gear and whether it held up. The FDNY details just this, however, in its 68-page publication, "World Trade Center Health Impacts on FDNY Rescue Workers: A Six-Year Assessment: September 2001 to September 2007," released last week. Here's an item noting use and performance of N95s, SCBAs, and P110s:

On Day 1, even those with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) only had clean air for about 15 minutes. After the SCBAs ran out of air and for the many who did not have a SCBA, there were few respirators available to rescue workers and those who used protection wore dust masks. N95 "TB" respirators are correct for biological emergencies; however, dust, surgical masks, and [N95s] do not provide adequate respiratory protection at a collapse/fire disaster site. The correct mask for this exposure was not widely available until after the first week. The intense environmental exposure is directly related to the respiratory symptoms/illness described throughout this publication.

This in-depth report also features data on such medical conditions as eye and skin irritations, a separate section on mental health, and information about FDNY retirement and disability noting type and number of cases of cancer, psychological impairment, and other diseases.

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