SAN ANGELO, Texas — With certain personal protection equipment (PPE) difficult to find, there was some uncertainty for local first responders and frontline healthcare workers on how they would protect themselves and those they served from COVID-19.
According to a press release from the Children's Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas, Inc., this need sparked an initiative between State Rep. Drew Darby, Ener-Tel, and the CAC.
The initiative helped identify those without N95 masks working the frontlines and needing immediate protection.
"Thanks to a relationship with Ener-Tel and a direct manufacturer of the masks, San Angelo received a shipment within one week of the COVID-19 pandemic," the release stated.
“It’s about doing the right thing when there is an immediate need in our community,” Cory Solomon, Ener-Tel president, said. “Due to the relationship we had, we were able to get immediate shipments sent in and went to work to identify who needed them in our community.”
The initiative has distributed more than 3,000 N95 masks to first responders and healthcare workers throughout San Angelo and the Concho Valley, including San Angelo Police Department, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, local essential healthcare services treating patients, and nursing home/rehabilitation services.
“These masks were not easy to find and the demand was rapidly growing therefore we were happy to step up and donate these masks and reduce the stress of trying to find them.”
Thanks to a partnership with Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, some of the masks were shared with neighboring counties and deputies personally drove to county lines to deliver the masks.
“It’s about what we are doing collectively that makes the impact,” Heather Ward, CAC CEO, said. “When Rep. Drew Darby and Ener-Tel identified the need, we used the relationships we had to gage the quantities needed. Not once did they say no to a number we gave them.”
Even though the need is still present, demand has started to take its toll on the availability of the masks. This initiative is working to bring in more masks to give to community frontline workers and will do so until there is no longer a need.
"Once we saw the need in our local community, and even more so in our surrounding communities, we have ordered another 30,000 mask to donate. The time is now!” Solomon said in the release.
