Levittown Holiday Shop Owner Shifting Focus To Medical Masks

Hospitals around the region and country have begun rationing personal protective equipment as supplies run low due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Chris Sembrot, who runs ScarePros Halloween and Christmas Wonderland in the 8500 block of New Falls Road in Bristol Township’s Levittown section, was moved by seeing the shortage and hearing from family members who work in the medical field.

“I knew I had to do something,” he said.

Through Sembrot’s businesses, he had connections with 200 vendors and manufacturers in China. He said many of the companies with manufacturing lines were able to change their production quickly and one major vendor also had experience with medical supplies.

Using his own funds, Sembrot purchased 2,000 respirator masks and 1,000 surgical masks that are on their way from a factory in China to the area. Once they arrive, he plans to hand them out to area medical staff who are dealing with shortages and supply rationing.

The masks are KN95, which blocks 95 percent of particles and are comparable with the N95 masks. The difference has to do with certification methods between the United State and overseas, but a 3M document shows they are similar.

Sembrot is getting the masks at a low cost directly from the manufacture. However, due to demand worldwide, the prices are fluctuating. He said one company has agreed to sell them at cost as a way to give back.

“These factories make whatever they need to and these masks are made to certification,” he said, adding they can make other protective equipment.

Sembrot started a Go Fund Me page to raise money to purchase additional masks. As of Wednesday, his effort raised $1,200.

So far, Sembrot has donated masks to staff at St. Mary Medical Center, Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, Capital Health, and St. Christopher’s Hospital.

“I have family who are nurses and they are reusing masks. They have to,” he said. “This is why this is needed.”

A nurse at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia, who was not authorized to speak on behalf of the hospital, said Sembrot’s effort is helping.

“When I saw he was doing this, I thought it was amazing. Just to even take donations,” she said.

The nurse explained that dealing with COVID-19 has been a trying experience on medical staff.

“Even five masks can help five nurses for a day,” the nurse told LevittownNow.com. “We’re on the front lines.”

Sembrot said he is hoping to raise enough funds to purchase thousands of additional masks. He urged people to use Go Fund Me or send via PayPal using the email fright@scarepros.com.

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