VIDEO: What do you get when you combine a lamp stand, a timer and a germicidal bulb? According to a self-admitted "tinkerer", it's another weapon to protect firefighters and the public during the pandemic.
Lt. Tom Carano, a veteran firefighter with the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, came up with the idea and built five of the devices-- one for each of the city's five fire stations.
Carano said the UV bulb-on-a-stand is placed in the back of squads for 20 to 30 minutes in an effort to kill germs.
"Just an extra layer of contamination. We're also using that lamp inside the stations after we wipe down the rooms," Carano said.
He also modified five plastic totes with reflective insulation and added sockets. The UV bulb is screwed into a tote and cell phones and personal protective equipment, including N-95 masks, are placed inside the glowing containers.
"Whatever we put in there can get, with the reflective light ,a 360 degree decontamination," Carano said.