BUFFALO, N.Y. — Several federal programs are currently available to help pay for air purifiers in school classrooms.

Money made available by the American Rescue Plan and the Centers for Disease Control ELC Program were in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but last week as smoke from Canadian wildfires covered New York state, Austin Air Systems Marketing Director Stacy Malesiewski says another benefit was apparent.

"When we're talking about wildfire smoke, it's like a potpourri of pollution. You have things that are structures, metal structures, plastics, so there's all these different chemicals that are present in a wildfire smoke, so there's not just any type of air purification that's going to be able to pull a lot of that stuff out," Malesiewski said.

Buffalo-based Austin Air makes high end air purifiers that utilize both carbon and HEPA filtration technology heavily recommended by the CDC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.

"Because we are here in Buffalo, New York, everything is hand-crafted right here in the United States so you're not sending out overseas. Then you have the issues of supply-chain issues, when's it coming, that sort of thing," Malesiewski said.

U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, said he encouraged the Erie County district to take advantage of the opportunity and last summer the county purchased and delivered 12,500 Austin Air purifiers for every single classroom.

"Receive these HEPA air filters to keep, whether it's the fires that occurred in Canada or whether it's COVID or some future transmissible disease," he said.

Malesiewski said while Erie and Albany counties for instance have seized the chance, other areas still have not. The federal government has already extended the deadline to use the ELC money by a year but it expires at the end of next month.

"The money is there. Like I said, it was made through an opt-out grant. You don't need to apply for this money. It should just be waiting to be used essentially," she said.

Malesiewski said parents who are interested should reach out to their school districts and county health departments. Austin Air has also set up an educational resource for people looking for more information.

The American Rescue Plan funding meanwhile must be obligated to projects by localities by the end of next year.