Fire Departments Across Minnesota Take Part In Homemade Mask Drive

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face masks in public settings while still maintaining physical distancing guidelines

MOORHEAD, Minn. – More than 700 fire departments across the state of Minnesota took part in an initiative that wants to supply workers and people living in congregated facilities with masks.

“Governor Walz set an initiative about two weeks ago that today, the 25th, fire departments across the state of Minnesota will be collecting masks. Homemade masks, donated masks, whatever you have so that we can actually get them out to some of the nursing homes and the congregated that don’t have some of these things right now. So, today’s our part and that’s what we’re doing right now,” says  the Captain at the Moorhead Fire Department, Rick Loveland.

While the homemade masks don’t replace actual personal protective equipment, their hope is that this will slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Right now, the masks are actually going to be collected by our emergency manager and they’re going to be working with the county emergency manager. And then they’re going to get it out to different areas based on requests or needs,” he says.

One local volunteer who helped with the drive says you don’t need to get out of your community to do a good deed.

“If you have a neighbor that needs helps or something, get out and help them and if you can, make masks, cause they’re always looking for masks,” says John Graves, who is volunteering.

Although the drive was a one day event, the Fire Department always welcomes anyone to drop off masks.

”Today’s initiative is from 10-2, but if we have people who missed today, and they’re making masks in the future and want to drop them off, they just have to contact the department. We will take masks in the future and make sure that they get to the proper places that they need to be distributed,” Loveland says.

About 20 people dropped off masks at the fire station.