Nebraska State Patrol officers now can cut down on their use of N95 masks, thanks to a new adapter for their gas masks that was designed and made by two Lincoln companies.Â
IntoMetal and Kawasaki partnered with NSP to create and donate adapters for reusable filters that can be affixed to the department's existing gas masks, allowing troopers and investigators to use them instead of N95 masks.
Patrol Col. John Bolduc said use of the adapters will save countless pieces of personal protective equipment for medical professionals.Â
The patrol already had filters for older versions of its gas masks, but those filters didn't fit the masks troopers currently use. The patrol looked to other suppliers for new filters until eventually reaching out to Kawasaki.Â
Kawasaki created a design for an adapter that attaches the existing filters to the newer masks. Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said the design saves resources and taxpayer money.
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Kawasaki had stopped making the adapters, focusing its attention on making other products, so IntoMetal, a Lincoln fabrication company, has been making them with a 3D printer.
Garrett Humston, a manufacturing engineer at IntoMetal, said it regularly supplies parts to Kawasaki. Making the adapters, he said, has been a nice change of pace.Â
Each adapter takes about 1 1/2 hours to create, Humston said, and the company has made about 35 so far. He said the first units IntoMetal made were ready to be tested by the state patrol the following day.Â
Humston is proud to be able to help his community and state in a time of need, and believes all businesses should do what they can to support local law enforcement.Â
"I think it's good that the company can help the community recover, because that will help small businesses," he said.Â
Thomas said NSP is thankful to have the support of local businesses.Â
"It's these local partnerships with the Nebraska State Patrol that we think are gonna make the difference," he said.
The gas masks will only be used by officers directly exposed to crime scenes and correctional facilities, Thomas said, adding that no NSP employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19.Â