Firefighters, EMTs, doctors and nurses have been sounding the alarm: There is just not enough personal protective equipment to keep them safe, putting themselves and loved ones at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

The global pandemic has strained resources and the health system so much that the Centers For Disease Control changed its guidelines. The agency now recommends reusing N-95 respirators unless they are contaminated.

Boardman Fire Chief Mark Pitzer says reusing masks once they've been sanitized could be the lifeline his crew needs during this pandemic.

"Our personnel have been issued an N95 respirator and a brown paper bag, and we are reusing those to the best of our ability," Pitzer said. "We received two shipments of PPE from the federal government strategic stockpile. Two pallets for Mahoning County was barely enough to supply three hospitals, over 20 police departments, over 21 fire departments, private and public ambulance companies, EMTs and nursing homes. If there is a way we could safely sanitize respirators so we could reuse them, that would be very critical in helping our operation."

"This technology could be life-changing," said Chip Comstock, chief of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District. "I understand the FDA's role is to protect consumers from being swindled by sham cures and scams, but during this critical shortage of N95 respirators, a machine that can sanitize 80,000 masks a day would be life-saving.

The FDA has since given the clearance for the company to operate at full capacity.