BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker has announced the distribution of approximately 200,000 respirator masks for all local law enforcement officers and firefighters to ensure they have the protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis.
Baker said the FDA-approved respirator masks will be distributed to all local law enforcement officers, including sheriffs and college and university police, and firefighters.
He made the announcement on Friday and said the distribution would begin right away.
To facilitate quick distribution of the masks, MEMA is employing a regional point of distribution model where communities can pick up their supply of masks at their designated MEMA POD.
The governor said the new distribution will ensure that local law enforcement and firefighters will have five respirator masks each, equivalent to a one month’s supply.
Including conservation methods currently being used by some organizations, that will provide each individual a mask per week and a spare, allowing the mask to dry overnight and reuse for up to one week.
As of last Thursday, the Commonwealth has delivered over four million pieces of PPE statewide. That includes over 2.3 million gloves, over 370,000 masks from the “AirKraft” shipment, almost 190,000 gowns and 380 ventilators.
