County offers free HEPA filters offered to at-risk individuals

| July 22, 2020 1:00 AM

Flathead City-County Health Department is partnering with Climate Smart Glacier Country, Whitefish Community Foundation and Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety to provide free HEPA filters to at-risk individuals.

HEPA portable air cleaners are appliances that filter out tiny particulate matter in wildlfire smoke, and typically come with a replaceable carbon filter that removes compounds in wildfire smoke as well as pollen. HEPA filters are available for central heating and cooling systems but for homes without central air, the portable units with small HEPA filters can plug into a standard wall outlet.

Low-income individuals with any of the following conditions are considered at-risk for developing health problems associated with wildfire smoke and may qualify for the HEPA filter program:

• Lung Disease

• Asthma

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• Heart Disease

• Senior Citizens

• Expectant mothers and infants

• Other respiratory illnesses

Interested individuals may contact the Flathead City-County Health Department for more information at 406-751-8225.