Verona’s emergency services are facing critical shortages of many in-demand items necessary to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have exhausted our normal supply chains, which have been stressed due to the high demand for products. Additionally, supplies being released by the state and federal governments are being distributed almost exclusively to hospitals, and not to first responders.
We thank the three families in town who took the initiative to donate supplies to the Verona Rescue Squad. They have inspired us to put out a call to the community for additional assistance.
Any contribution will help us – whether one bottle or one box!
The Verona Rescue Squad, Verona Police Department, and Verona Fire Department are urgently seeking donations of:
- Nitrile medical-grade gloves (non-latex) for our crews
- N-95 Respirator masks for police and EMS to wear on calls for assistance
- Surgical masks for our patients so that we can prevent exposure to our staff and hospital personnel (We cannot take hand-sewn masks due to the close quarters we are in with patients in ambulances)
- Safety glasses (even construction goggles would be helpful) for crews entering homes and treating patients
- Cleaning wipes (gold-top and purple-top medical-grade PDI SaniCloth are ideal, but household wipes like Lysol and Clorox are great) in order to decontaminate equipment, ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks
- Boot/shoe covers (like “booties” that realtors use for open houses) for crews entering homes with suspected COVID-19 cases and decontaminating ambulances
- Lysol aerosol spray cans in order to disinfect as COVID-19 lives for several hours in the air
- Surgical face shields (like those used in dental offices) in order to protect from droplets
- Charcoal-filter respirators (commonly used for construction, etc.) for personnel who cannot find a seal with an N-95 respirator during testing
We ask each family and business to consider what they may have in excess that would help to ensure the safety of our police, EMS, and fire personnel.
Please drop off your donations in the bin in the police headquarters lobby, which is open 24 hours a day. (600 Bloomfield Avenue)
Alternatively, we will pick up your donations at your homes or offices. Please email [email protected] with your address, intended contribution, and a date/time they will be available. You may leave on your front steps or driveway.
