Founded In 2020
The St. Louis First Responder Decon (STLFRD) Team was founded by two St. Louis area first responders. One is SLMPD North Patrol Division Sergeant, and safety team leader, Kevin Androff. The other is St. Louis Fire Department captain, Dan Clark of the hazmat team.
ABOUT UVC RAYS (SNIPPETS FROM BUSINESS INSIDER)
The three main types of UV rays are UVA, UVB, and UVC. Because UVC rays have the shortest wavelength, and therefore highest energy, they are capable of killing bacteria and viruses, also called pathogens. UVC light has a wavelength of between 200 and 400 nanometers (nm). It is highly effective at decontamination because it destroys the molecular bonds that hold together the DNA of viruses and bacteria, including "superbugs," which have developed a stronger resistance to antibiotics.
Powerful UVC light has been regularly used to decontaminate surgical tools and hospital rooms. A study that included 21,000 patients who stayed overnight in a room where someone had been previously treated found that sanitizing a hospital room with UV light in addition to traditional methods of cleaning cut transmission of drug-resistant bacteria by 30%. This is partly because UVC light can effectively sanitize hard-to-clean nooks and crannies. UVC light also works by destroying the DNA of pathogens, which makes it effective against "superbugs."
But this broad-spectrum light is also a health hazard — linked to diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts — and humans cannot be in the room when it is used. Recently, however, researchers have been working with narrow-spectrum UVC rays (207-222 nm). This type of UVC light kills bacteria and viruses without penetrating the outermost cell layer of human skin.
A 2017 study showed that 222 nm UVC light killed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria just as effectively as a 254 nm UVC light, which would be toxic to humans. This study was repeated in 2018 on the H1N1 virus, and narrow-spectrum UVC light was again found to be effective at eliminating the virus. This has particularly important implications for public health since the possibility of non-toxic overhead UV lighting in public spaces could drastically reduce the transmission of diseases.
Killing bacteria and viruses with UV light is particularly effective because it kills germs regardless of drug resistance and without toxic chemicals. It is also effective against all germs, even newly-emerging pathogen strains.
Powerful UVC light has been regularly used to decontaminate surgical tools and hospital rooms. A study that included 21,000 patients who stayed overnight in a room where someone had been previously treated found that sanitizing a hospital room with UV light in addition to traditional methods of cleaning cut transmission of drug-resistant bacteria by 30%. This is partly because UVC light can effectively sanitize hard-to-clean nooks and crannies. UVC light also works by destroying the DNA of pathogens, which makes it effective against "superbugs."
But this broad-spectrum light is also a health hazard — linked to diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts — and humans cannot be in the room when it is used. Recently, however, researchers have been working with narrow-spectrum UVC rays (207-222 nm). This type of UVC light kills bacteria and viruses without penetrating the outermost cell layer of human skin.
A 2017 study showed that 222 nm UVC light killed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria just as effectively as a 254 nm UVC light, which would be toxic to humans. This study was repeated in 2018 on the H1N1 virus, and narrow-spectrum UVC light was again found to be effective at eliminating the virus. This has particularly important implications for public health since the possibility of non-toxic overhead UV lighting in public spaces could drastically reduce the transmission of diseases.
Killing bacteria and viruses with UV light is particularly effective because it kills germs regardless of drug resistance and without toxic chemicals. It is also effective against all germs, even newly-emerging pathogen strains.
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