B.C. wildland firefighter designs sleek respirator to combat smoke hazards
British Columbia wildland firefighter Angus Duguid loves his job, but he doesn't love waking up with headaches or a clogged nose from inhaling smoke.
So he turned his skills as a design student at Emily Carr University to fixing the problem for himself and, he hopes, fellow firefighters.
“We see a fair bit of toxic debris and combustibles when we’re on the fire line as wildland firefighters and I was thinking about why we don’t have sort of designated masks,” said Duguid.
The result is Respire, a sleek-looking respirator that looks something like a scuba-diving mouthpiece and is much smaller than current commercially available respirators.
The device produced by Duguid as his final-year project at Emily Carr is functional and the firefighter of five years hopes to eventually get it on the market, filling what he says is a gap.
Unlike structural and urban firefighters who are all equipped with self-contained breathing apparatuses, Duguid said wildland firefighters have traditionally lacked suitable respirators.
The BC Wildfire Service said online last month that respiratory protection certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was made available to all operational staff this wildfire season, on a "non-mandatory, opt-in" basis.
But it said wildland firefighters have historically used bandanas or cloth masks as respiratory protection on the fire line, with these offering "little to no protection" against small particulates in wildfire smoke.
The agency said it couldn't provide specific responses, citing restrictions on government agencies during the provincial election campaign.
Last year's wildfire season was "particularly bad" said Duguid and his crew spent lots of time in smoke that he said was sometimes an "unavoidable" part of the job.
Duguid said respirators on the market were not specifically designed for wildland firefighters.
For example, he said some working days last 16 hours, with firefighters hiking up hills and carrying 100 pounds of gear and breathing hard, and other times breathing much easier. The key was to come up with a respirator that could be easily deployed for short periods and then quickly removed many times a day.
He said he was helped with the design for Respire by his firefighter colleagues, joking that "they are smarter than I thought."
The device is only worn in the mouth and does not cover the nose, making it small enough to clip on a shirt pocket for easy access.
Duguid, who graduated from university in April, said he is still fine-tuning the idea.
He said he worried about the long-term health effects of exposure to smoke, calling it "death by 1,000 paper cuts."
Calgary-based emergency physician Dr. Joe Vipond said wildfire smoke contains gases and small particles of pollution known as PM 2.5, which can burn eyes and irritate respiratory tracts, making people cough or feel short of breath.
Vipond, a past president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said the PM 2.5 could affect the cardiovascular system, causing heart attacks, strokes and even killing people.
“The other thing we know about PM 2.5 is that if you are exposed to it over long periods of time, not only during acute events when you see the smoke outside but if you have a lot of exposure to it over time, it also has an affect on mortality,” said Vipond.
Vipond also noted that multiple studies have shown urban and wildland firefighters have higher rates of cancer than the rest of the population.
Duguid said he hasn’t been able to test the device in the field because of legal restrictions, but hopes his fellow firefighters will be using it in a few years.
“But, honestly, even if it just sparks a conversation, I think it’ll be a win,” said Duguid.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
'There is no electricity': Canadian travellers in Cuba urge caution in hurricane's wake
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
'There was no stopping this baby from coming': Woman gives birth while aboard Newfoundland ferry
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
Volkswagen models recalled for airbag safety precaution
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
Canmore wildlife and landscape defender Karsten Heuer dies peacefully at 56
Canmore conservationist Karsten Heuer, who was a biologist, park ranger, author and activist, has died.
America votes: How celebrities are reacting to Trump's decisive victory
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
3 Winnipeg police officers charged with breach of trust, theft
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation