Air Quality Flags

Today's Flag:

Montana Air Quality Education Flag Program

Get your town's flag for today at airnow.gov!

Teaching about air quality at Ekalaka High School

With thanks to our amazing partners!

Exposure to air pollution is linked to increased frequency of asthma attacks, other respiratory conditions, and hospitalizations. Read more from the EPA at Air Pollution: Current and Future Challenges.

The EPA School Flag Program helps communicate daily air quality conditions with colored flags that correspond to the EPA’s Air Quality Index. The Flag Program is an easy way to generate public awareness about outdoor air conditions. On days with poor air quality levels, participating organizations can use this information to reduce exposure to air pollution and keep children safe. Read more at EPA’s Air Quality Flag Program Webpage.

After a year of outreach, the Flag Program has been adopted by fifty one organizations across Montana! We've partnered with schools, health clinics, non-profits, a library, and a fire department. Twenty-eight locations also received a Purple Air monitor to monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) in their location for accurate air quality readings, which is very significant since there are only 20 permanent air quality monitoring stations throughout the entire state of Montana! Over a thousand people stepped up for to be trained in flying the flags and learn more about the impacts of climate change on human health. Thank you all!

Through this project, we've had valuable conversations in communities across Montana about air pollution and health. It's clear that Montanans care about how smoke impacts their health. Our state will continue to be heavily impacted by unhealthy air quality as wildfires worsen (McWethy et al. 2019), but flying the flags can help us make informed decisions to protect our health and the health of our children.

Interested in bringing the Flag Program to your community? Contact us! We can provide information, flags and educational materials.

If you know a great school nurse or science teacher or other staff member at any school in Montana that might be interested, please let us know at info@montanahphc.org or 406-763-1006. If you know if a church, non-profit, or business that might be interested, let us know that too!

Current Participating Locations