The Mansfield Fire Department was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for the purchase of personal protective equipment. The BWC uses the Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements Grant program to partner with Ohio fire departments to minimize exposure to dangerous carcinogenic particulates and other harmful contaminants. The program is available to eligible Ohio fire departments that wish to purchase qualified items for optimal protection against these exposures. Through the grant, the MFD will receive 100 particulate blocking hoods. The hoods are designed to keep potentially carcinogenic particulates and other harmful contaminants off firefighters’ jaws, faces and necks; areas identified as highly absorptive and more permeable than other areas of skin and are likely not getting enough protection from hazardous particles with the current knit hood technology that is currently available.