Buffalo, New York – Today Mayor Byron W. Brown announced that 16,000 high-quality N95-style masks are now available to City of Buffalo residents as a result of the ongoing Canadian wildfires and their continued impact on the air quality in Buffalo. Earlier today, four City community centers, located in all sections of the city, received a delivery of 4,000 N95 masks each.
“My top priority right now is keeping our residents safe,” stated Mayor Brown. “As we continue to monitor the air quality conditions in our community, I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for making these high-quality masks available to the residents who need them the most. Everyone should continue to do what they can to stay safe over the coming days, as reduced air quality continues to pose harmful health impacts.”
The masks are free, with a limit of four masks per household. Masks are available at the following locations:
- The Belle Center, 104 Maryland Street
- Delavan Grider Community Center, 877 E. Delavan Avenue
- Northwest Buffalo Community Center, 155 Lawn Street
- Tosh Collins Senior Center, 35 Cazenovia Street
According to local health experts, those who are most vulnerable to negative health impacts from unhealthy air quality should take special precautions. These include individuals with heart conditions or lung disease, as well as the very young, those over 65 years old, and pregnant people. The best way for vulnerable people to protect themselves is to stay inside, reduce exposure by wearing a high-quality mask and minimize exertion when outdoors.
Earlier, Mayor Brown also announced the City of Buffalo’s 10 splash pads will be closed today due to the ongoing air quality conditions. He also asked City residents to use this link to monitor the air quality in their neighborhoods.
https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Buffalo&state=NY&country=USA