A Mentor company well-known as a premier brand in the commercial food service industry as well as for its innovative heating technologies and specialty metal solutions has created a new division to focus on the health and safety of first responders and public health professionals.
The Cres Cor Health and Safety Division was established in 2021 as a direct result of the pandemic. According to Cres Cor Chairman Cliff Baggott, initially the company was trying to utilize its technological advances to sanitize masks. They applied for emergency FDA approval and were well on the way to getting approved, but then the crisis of getting masks waned.
“What could we do with modification to our technologies to sanitize masks? Independent lab results proved that we could sanitize masks to a 6 log reduction or 99.9999 percent – all done without the use of chemicals,” Baggott said. “All during this time we had been talking to fire, first responders and recognized the need for the same type of equipment to decontaminate fire gear of all types.
“It has been a long-term goal to leverage our core competencies into new products for new markets.”
According to a Cres Cor news release, the unique Cres Guard cabinet, the first made-in-USA chemical-free, mobile decontamination unit for first responder gear, personal gear, and non-electronic equipment has proven to decontaminate difficult-to-kill non-enveloped viruses and bacteria.
In independent laboratory tests, Cres Guard exceeded the latest cleaning requirements set by NFPA Standard 1851, not just by disinfecting better, but by its ability to disinfect higher-resistant organisms.
Applications include bulletproof vests, duty boots, fire hood, gloves, goggles, medical jump bags, personal items such as backpacks and shoes, SCBA Masks and turnout jacket and trousers. Firefighters rarely have extra personal protective gear, so getting turnout coats, boots, and other gear decontaminated and back into service, quickly, is paramount.
“A high priority for us goes well beyond creating a healthier and safer work environment for our workforce but doing whatever we can to improve the wellness of our community,” Mentor Fire Chief Robert Searles said. “We are thankful for our partnership with Cres Corp and during the pandemic we purchased a number of their new mobile decontamination units for use in all five of our fire stations.
“The new technology cleans our gear and equipment more efficiently and reduces the risks of various hazards, especially those posed by infectious diseases.
“Having an efficient safe method to decontaminate personal protective gear and EMS equipment means we can better clean our equipment to reduce the risk of cross contamination and ensure that we are delivering the best service possible to our community.”
Baggott said the units – which can decontaminate items in a 15-minute cycle – sell for under $10,000 and are available in stock or within 60 to 90 days for larger orders.
Despite the fact the pandemic is nowhere near the dangerous levels of 2020 and 2021, Baggott said Cres Cor is dedicated to doing its part to keep first responders as safe as possible.
“Everyone’s awareness of decontamination has been heightened since the beginning of the pandemic. Some of this will wain as time goes by but we don’t see it ever going away,” Baggott said. “We see fire and safety as a start to where this type of equipment could and will be used.
“Think of all commercial applications where people in the workforce come into contact with germs and viruses that might negatively affect their health,” he added. “These products are adding a much higher level of safety.
“We are committed to duplicating our Cres Cor values (from the food service business) for a new industry and for a new generation.”
