Our First Responders Come First

I walk into my office everyday with the intent to help all of my customers. My customers are police departments, fire departments, emergency management, EMS and many more cohorts. Everyday, while I could wear a mask, I don’t because I know who really needs them.

We are entering the third week of a new normal. And while some could be tired, my team and I are energized by the actions we are taking to help our first responders.

Our first responders. Our first priority. Our first line of defense. Our first step towards a more familiar normal.

In order to help the FIRST, we need to stop hurting their efforts. How are we hurting them? Articles like the New York Times: “More Americans Should Probably Wear Masks For Protection” continue to purport that the average healthy American should wear a mask. This panic-inducing journalism will incent Americans to purchase masks, hoard masks. Additionally, the average American does not know how to wear a mask correctly and in fact touches his/her face more frequently, due to the unusual feeling the mask produces. Both render the mask ineffective and could do more harm than good. Thus, the insinuation for Americans to purchase masks could lead to hoarding and to inaccurately using masks, while simultaneously producing anxiety in the populace. The World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention continue to state that masks don’t necessarily protect healthy individuals from getting infected. 

We need to keep the limited supply of masks where they belong, with our FIRST. If you or someone you know owns a mask, please pause. Please consider who our firsts are. Please consider what our first steps should be.  And perhaps, donate your mask to your local healthcare facility. We all need to worker together and help those who can help us.