DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - An ambulance service in Dedham is delivering added protection and handing out equipment to dozens of area cities and towns in the hopes of keeping first responders safe in the fight against the coronavirus.
EMS workers are on the front lines in the battle and are not only facing a high risk of contracting coronavirus but are dealing with a serious lack of personal protective equipment.
“We go into people’s homes — so to have protection if and when we need it, is gigantic,” said Kevin Mont of Fallon Ambulances. “It’s always been on the trucks, they’re recommending using a face shield, eye protection, and an N94 or surgical mask for mouth and breathing.”
Crews across the Boston area were able to pick up some of that essential equipment from a number of distribution sites on Friday morning.
“There’s roughly 84,000 surgical masks that are going to be deployed, roughly 13,000 gowns, somewhere along the lines of 3,500 or so eye protection,” Mont explained.
Back in 2010, the Metro Boston EMS council stockpiled all this equipment without ever really knowing when they would need it.
That rainy day reserve is now coming in handy in these uncertain times.
“So we are using more of the equipment right now just because it’s flu season, it’s allergy season is creeping in, so you have a bunch of things creeping in on top of COVID-19,” Mont said.
Fallon said they have seen a slight uptick in calls for people concerned about the coronavirus and according to them, that number is only going to rise.
The distribution that took place Friday is just the first of a few planned in the Boston area.
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