FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- The City of Fort Worth is now a regional hub for the Battelle N95 Mask Decontamination Program to assist front line workers.
Drake Goolsby Regional Vice President for Battelle, a nonprofit research and technology development company said by using a vapor hydrogen peroxide, they can clean up to 80,000 masks a day. “FDA funded a study for us back in 2015 to develop the technology and DLA on behalf of FEMA and HHS, contracted with us to make this available free of charge to all health care providers and first responders,” said Goolsby.
Goolsby said with this technology, the masks can be used up to 20 times and its a 2-3 day turn around.
Right now the Battelle Equipment just cleans masks but Goolsby said soon it will be expanded to clean other personal protective equipment.
Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis said this much needed technology has been thoroughly tested. “We locally have done the background research with the stuff provided by Battelle, there is consensus across the board that what’s being done here is safe,” said Davis. “The quality assurance that goes into the process is rigorous,” he said. 
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price made an appearance at the unit site since going into self isolation. Price said she was exposed to someone who tested positive last month, but her results came back negative.
