SLINGER, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Communities across the state are coming together to combat the coronavirus outbreak. 

With the dire need for personal protection equipment, teachers at Slinger School District in Wisconsin say they knew they had to step up. 

They’re using the 3D printer they have at their high school and elementary schools to print the ‘Montana’ masks. 

It’s a mask that can be printed, all you need is the file that’s available online, originated by doctors who knew the 3D printing technology could easily help the demand. 

Teacher and director of STEM at Slinger High and Slinger School District, Russ Hermann, says 3D printers are a lot more common than we may think. These days you’ll find them in many schools and a lot more people are buying them for their homes,

Hermann says, “Most printers are pretty portable now. We have several at the high school that you can’t get into the back of a vehicle but we have three or four at the high school that we can throw in the backseat of a car and take them home and print them at home, in fact, that's probably what we’ll start doing.”

They plan to continue producing the masks as long as there is a need for them. Hermann says they are reusable, can be sanitized and the filters and elastic steps can be replaced as well. Hermann says he’s sure most communities and schools across the state are doing things like this to help as well.

“I think like every other community and district out there, we’re at the time right now that its everyone coming together and try to do what we can to keep as many people as we can healthy.”