BOISE, Idaho — It's no secret there is a huge medical mask shortage nationwide right now, but a company that typically makes products for military and law enforcement is now answering the call for help.
Sentry Products Group is headquartered in Virginia, but its manufacturing facility is in Boise.
The company is creating masks to be used in hospitals and protective care facilities, which they plan on donating and delivering to medical care providers next week.
“It's about something outside of business, it's about doing something for the greater good of everybody and doing our part to help out,” said Terry Naughton, Sentry Products Group president.
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The company started making protective masks last year after one of their design group leads had surgery and wanted to find a way to pay it forward to the hospital where he was treated.
According to Naughton, the employee asked if the company could use the scrap materials from other projects and create protective masks for the hospitals, and they did.
It's unclear how many masks Sentry will be donating, but Naughton told KTVB each mask takes only a few minutes apiece to make.
RELATED: 'Nurses wore swim goggles': Oregon nurses union says protective gear could run out by Tuesday
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