TAKOMA PARK, Md. — Montgomery College donated more than 3,100 pieces of personal protective equipment to the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security as police agencies and other first responders in the region report rationing those very supplies.
The College’s Coronavirus Advisory Team facilitated donations from their following programs: Diagnostic medical sonography, nursing, physical therapy assistant, radiologic technology and surgical technology.
"Facing a critical shortage of protective equipment for first responders and medical personnel, (we made the donation)," Montgomery County Health officials said Thursday morning.
County health officials said PPE is needed immediately to help keep first responders and healthcare workers -- doctors, nurses and other caregivers -- safe while working in our county and on the pandemic's frontlines.
School officials said the team gathered, packaged, and delivered the equipment and supplies, including N95 protective face masks.
"We are extremely fortunate to have additional supplies above our regular PPE supplies to donate to the health care teams across Montgomery County," Dr. Monique Davis, Collegewide Instructional Dean of Health Sciences/Director of Nursing said. "These donations are just one example of the college's ongoing commitment and dedication to the health and well-being of our Montgomery County community."
Montgomery College donated the following items:
- N95 Masks - donated by Follett Bookstore - 26 each
- Surgical masks - 750 each
- Model/cone masks - 250 each
- Face masks with shield - 130 each
- Yellow-isolation gowns - 300 each
- Blue plastic - isolation gowns - 24 each
- Surgical gowns - 310 each
- Hand sanitizer - purell 8-oz bottles - 6 bottles
- Hand sanitizer - purell 68-oz bottles - 4 bottles
- Gloves (small, medium, large, XL) 100-200 count - 107 boxes
- Sterile gloves (assorted sizes) - 500 pair
- Sanicloth disinfecting wipes (60 wipes) per container - 13 containers
- Sanicloth disinfecting wipes (95 wipes) per container - 1 container
- Shoe covers - 140 pair
- Bouffant caps - 500 each
- Surgical boot covers - 50 each
In Montgomery County, officers are being issued two single-use N-95 face masks per shift for use at their discretion, Montgomery County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Earl Stoddard said.
Stoddard said officers are being asked to use social distancing and other strategies whenever possible to extend the supply. He reported that between state and federal stockpiles, the county has received 155,000 masks in recent days. He said the priority has been to get them to hospitals and health care workers.