SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Across the country, medical staff and first responders are running low on personal protective equipment (PPE) as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.
Snohomish County is taking donations to help fill that need.
Unopened and unused gloves, eye protection, hand sanitizer, masks, even homemade masks are all items the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management is collecting.
“The goal behind it is to be able to provide these materials to front line responders,” said Colby Kavanaugh, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management program coordinator.
If you'd like to drop off any of these items, here are the two drop off sites:
Willis Tucker Park
- 6705 Puget Park Dr, Snohomish, WA
- 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Haller Park
- 154 W Cox St, Arlington, WA
- 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
This week, the department received 25,000 gloves, and 3,500 masks through donations by businesses and people in the county.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have that community support, and those donations to help offset some of those shortages,” Kavanaugh said.
Not all counties are as fortunate, however, which is why earlier this week Gov. Jay Inslee called on state manufacturers and private companies to help make personal protective equipment.
Outdoor Research, a Seattle based outdoor clothing and equipment company has transitioned their manufacturing to produce much-needed PPE.
“What can I do to help? That’s a human response, and we have that ability. We have the skills we have the capacity. We have the ability to do something. So, this is our way of being able to help,” said Brent Zwiers, Outdoor Research Director of Engineering and Production.
Soon the company will be producing 140,000 surgical masks, and 50,000 N95 masks, a day.
“We’re working directly with Washington state. Gov. Inslee’s been excellent and his staff. They will be disseminating the masks,” explained Jason Duncan, Outdoor research VP of tactical innovation.
Snohomish County hopes this PPE is available sooner rather than later.
“It fills that need for PPE. So, if a company or business is setting up to redirect what they’re typically making into that PPE, we highly encourage that, and we welcome that,” Kavanaugh said.