Members of the ACT Rural Fire Service will be provided a personnel issue, half-faced respiratory mask ahead of the next bushfire season, putting the volunteers instep with their paid counterparts.
The rollout follows a review into the ACT emergency services response to the 2019-20 bushfires. It recommended updating masks, in line with information available since 2006 "that P2 particulate filtering is not adequate for firefighters".
After trialling full-faced masks ahead of the Black Summer bushfires, stations have been issued with sizing kits for half-faced masks in addition to the P2 disposables.
