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Facebook has donated 1,000 “N95” masks to the city of Menlo Park, which has set up distribution centers at six locations throughout Menlo Park.
Air quality in the Midpeninsula continues to be poor, due mainly to smoke from the Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in California history. As of Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 7:20 a.m., the Camp Fire had burned 151,373 acres and was 70 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District predicts particulate matter in the air to remain in the categories of “unhealthy” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” for the next several days.
Access the latest air quality reports at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District here.
According to the California Department of Public Health,”N95″ masks block about 95 percent of very small particles and can protect people who must be outdoors for long periods of time. People with lung or heart problems should ask their doctor before using one.
On Friday, Nov. 16, representatives from Facebook brought the first set of masks to people at the Menlo Park Senior Center in Belle Haven.
Although masks had sold out in many locations, Facebook employees were able to secure more masks than they needed and wanted to distribute them in the community, according to Ryan Patterson, strategic initiatives manager at Facebook.
“I think we were all taken a little by surprise by how long the poor air quality lasted,” said Patterson. “It’s just sort of the right thing to do.”
Seniors who had walked to the senior center for lunch were able to use them almost immediately on their journeys home, he said.
“It’s a really nice thing we didn’t ask them to do,” commented Menlo Park Vice Mayor Ray Mueller.
He said employees at Facebook initially contacted him last week because they had extra masks and wanted to distribute them, so he, interim City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson and council member-elect Cecilia Taylor worked together to set up the Friday distribution at the Menlo Park Senior Center.
Monday, Facebook employees reported they had secured more masks, so additional distribution sites were set up.
“I’m grateful they worked with the community on their own to get these to people who need them,” Mueller said.
Preparing for the future
The donation raises the question of whose responsibility it is to provide the public with things like masks and other public health needs when the air turns unhealthy.
The Camp Fire started Nov. 8 and poor air quality in the Bay Area has been nearly constant since then. The mask donations are coming in toward what appears to be the end of the Camp Fire’s reign of devastation, but how does the city aim to protect city residents from the air quality impacts from future fires?
Preparing for such occurrences is not part of anyone’s job description at City Hall at his point, Mueller said.
“The fact of the matter is, we are starting to see these events happen more and more in California, and we face significant wildfire threat ourselves here in San Mateo County,” he said.
He said he spoke Monday with Facebook and plans to gather key players, including the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, to discuss how the city can partner with the private sector to “prepare for events like this and create community resilience.”
Mask pickup locations
More masks are available on a first-come, first- served basis this week at the following locations:
● Onetta Harris Community Center , 100 Terminal Ave. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m.; closed Thursday through Saturday.
● Belle Haven Branch Library, 413 Ivy Drive. Open Tuesday 3:15 to 9 p.m, closed Wednesday through Friday, open Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
● Belle Haven Child Development Center, 410 Ivy Drive. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Thursday through Saturday.
● Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, 700 Laurel St. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., closed Thursday and Friday, and open Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m.
● Menlo Park Library, 800 Laurel St. Open Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Thursday and Friday, and open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
● Police Department lobby, open Tuesday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed Wednesday through Saturday.
About 200 masks have been distributed so far.
Go to the city’s website here for more information.