All fire departments in Orleans will distribute cloth masks on Saturday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2020 at 4:59 pm

All 12 fire departments in Orleans County on Saturday will be distributing cloth masks for free at their fire halls from 10 a.m. to noon, or until supplies are depleted.

Each household will be given two of the cloth masks for every member of the household over 2 years old.

The Orleans County Emergency Management Agency received an additional shipment of 7,500 cloth facemasks which will be distributed at the following locations:

  • Albion Fire Department: 108 N. Platt St. in the Village of Albion
  • Barre Fire Company:4709 Oak Orchard Rd. in the Town of Barre
  • Carlton Fire Company Rec Hall: 1853 Oak Orchard Rd. in the Town of Carlton
  • Clarendon Fire Company: 16169 E Lee Rd. in the Town of Clarendon
  • East Shelby Fire Company: 5021 East Shelby Rd. in the Town of Shelby
  • Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company: 3353 Hulberton Rd. in the Town of Murray
  • Holley Fire Company Fireman’s Field: 55 N. Main St. in the Village of Holley
  • Kendall Fire Department: 1879 Kendall Rd. in the Town of Kendall
  • Lyndonville Fire Department: 148 N. Main St. in the Village of Lyndonville
  • Medina Fire Department:600 Main St. in the Village of Medina
  • Ridgeway Fire Company: 11392 Ridge Rd. in the Town of Ridgeway
  • Shelby Fire Company: 4677 South Gravel Rd. in the Town of Shelby

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic began in March, the Emergency Management Office has been working diligently to acquire and distribute personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer.

To date the EMO has distributed the following:

  • 30,200 Gloves
  • 19,775 Surgical Masks
  • 1,985 N95’s
  • 349 Gowns
  • 911 Face Shields
  • 15,000 Cloth Facemasks
  • 1,828 Gallon Containers of Hand Sanitizer
  • 20,000 2 oz. Bottles of Hand Sanitizer

The office has distributed cloth facemasks to the public, government agencies and first responders. Public distribution included 29 different gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as RTS, Community Action, Path Stone and the food pantries.

Additionally, Office of the Aging has received 5,300 masks for distribution to the residents they serve. The Department of Mental Health has received 2,000 masks for distribution to the residents they serve.

The EMO and the Department of Public Health have been working with Cornell Cooperative Extension who have received 4,000 masks and an additional 384 gallons of hand sanitizer to keep the agriculture industry working in a safe and healthy manner. Some supplies the EMO received were earmarked for specific heath care facilities and the distribution numbers above do not reflect those supplies.

The Emergency Management Office has received several calls from local businesses about where and how to obtain PPE for their employees.  Currently, the EMO supplies are limited and are prioritized for healthcare workers and first responders.

In accordance with the Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.16, “For all essential businesses or entities, any employees who are present in the workplace shall be provided and shall wear face coverings when in direct contact with customers or members of the public. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings for their employees.”

The EMO also hasn’t vetted vendors nor does it endorse any particular vendor. However, on the EMO website, there is vendor information on where to obtain PPE and other supplies to include hand sanitizer and disinfectants for purchase.

The EMO Facebook page also has COVID-19 information and links.

For questions or more information please contact the EMO office at emo@orleanscountyny.gov.

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