Ravenna – Donations of masks, disinfectant and gowns are slowly coming into the Portage County Emergency Management Agency so the agency is urging businesses and the public to check office and home supplies and consider sharing to help local safety and healthcare workers during the COVID-19 response.
EMA Director Ryan Shackelford announced to the Portage County task force collaborating in the local COVID-19 response that donations were received from Dr. Tiffany Drach of the Rootstown Veterinary Hospital, the Kent dental practice of Dr. Gregory Lis, Sam Roberts of the Portage County Information Technology Department, Southeast and Ravenna School Districts, the Portage County Dog Warden, Kent State University and the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA).
“We are very grateful for those who answered our call. This is a start, but we foresee shortages for University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, the Portage County Health Department, long-term care facilities and our first responders in the fire, police and EMS agencies around the county. Every single resource in PPE is being strategically distributed as people conserve every ounce of the resources we have,” said Shackelford.
Items for safety and healthcare workers should be delivered to the EMA office at 8240 Infirmary Road, Ravenna. The office is located behind the Portage County Justice Center and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please note that items must be in useable order and clean and will be reviewed when dropped off.
Items that are needed for safety and healthcare workers:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from area doctors, dentists, veterinarians, construction companies and other businesses
- NIOSH-approved N95 and higher-grade masks
- Surgical masks
- Face shields
- Medical grade splash protection gowns
- Isolation gowns or aprons
- Sterile swabs
- No-touch thermometers
- Size C batteries
The directive came out of the COVID-19 updates by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to protect local nurses and doctors in hospitals and safety workers as cases continue to be identified. Officials are attempting to stretch local resources.
Please call the EMA office at 330-297-3607 to arrange a drop-off. For additional information contact: Patricia Corley, administrative emergency management specialist, at 330-297-3607, or pcorley@portageco.com.
