A shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) could lead to first responders being exposed to COVID-19 and could hamper the ability of America’s emergency personnel to serve on the front lines during the pandemic, according to U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS).
“Without aggressive federal action, we risk leaving first responders across the country without the tools and equipment they need to keep both themselves and our communities safe during this crisis,” wrote Sen. Moran and several of his U.S. Senate colleagues in an April 6 letter sent to President Donald Trump.
The lawmakers urged the president to continue exploring all avenues to increase the PPE supply by utilizing his authorities under the Defense Production Act to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity by incentivizing private firms to produce PPE, including the production of more respirators, gloves, gowns, and eye protection.
Sen. Moran and his colleagues also asked the president to allocate some of these resources to first responders, according to the letter, which also was signed by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Chris Coons (D-DE), among other senators serving on the Law Enforcement Caucus and the Fire Services Caucus.
The senators cited a U.S. Conference of Mayors survey that recently found more than 88 percent of cities lack an adequate supply of PPE to protect first responders.
“The dangerous consequences of this equipment shortage are clear. When first responders are exposed to or become infected with COVID-19, they are often unable to work for at least 14 days,” the senators wrote. “If our first responders are sidelined, our communities immediately become less safe and less resilient.”
While the newly signed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $100 million for Assistance to Firefighters Grants to help first responders during this crisis, Sen. Moran and the other lawmakers wrote that the funding “is insufficient to provide first responders with the protection that they require.”