Other city employees who interact with the public will also use masks and equipment.
“I’m grateful for our front-line workers who are doing incredible work during difficult situations,” said Dayton City Commissioner Darryl Fairchild.
The city also is asking for community members to donate cloth face masks to distribute to workers who provide essential services outside of health care.
Coronavirus: Complete Coverage by the Dayton Daily News
This week, the Dayton City Commission approved spending $168,460 to buy surgical masks, KN95 masks and safety goggles from a West Chester company called American Diversity Business Solutions.
The personal protective equipment (PPE) is meant to minimize first-responders’ infection risks while on duty.
The city has requested 56,000 surgical masks, 55,000 KN95 masks and 2,000 goggles, according to the city’s procurement division.
PPE initially was requested by the police and fire departments. Other departments and divisions followed suit because they provide essential services and could be exposed in public spaces, the city’s procurement division and human resources department said.
This includes water meter readers and staff with public works, building inspection and the courts.
EMS calls down
The city’s initial PPE request was made in early March, and purchased items will start arriving next week and will be distributed once they are counted and verified, officials said.
Other PPE the city bought includes gloves and Tyvek suits.
“The city is not stockpiling, but is very conscious of the extended lead times for products and taking necessary precautions to ensure that essential and vital services can be carried out under the proper protocol with the proper PPE needs,” a statement from the city said.
Dayton fire and EMS crews wear appropriate PPE on all calls for service, which at a minimum includes masks and gloves, said Scott Jacobs, the fire department’s public information officer.
The Dayton Fire Department continues to order and stock PPE to be in line with current and projected call volumes, he said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that medical transport and health care workers who treat or transport COVID-19 patients are at high risk of exposure.
EMS workers have to provide care quickly with limited information and may have to be in enclosed spaces with potentially infected individuals, such as in their homes or during patient transport.
Medical patients are being required to wear masks for safety reasons.
“We ask that citizens understand that with this current situation, we will require patients to wear a surgical mask for the protection of themselves, the crew, EMS staff and the hospital,” Jacobs said.
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EMS call volumes in the city have declined slightly in recent weeks, and officials say they hope that’s because community members are trying to avoid overloading the hospital system and EMS services.
Police calls up
Police calls for service have increased 6% through the end of March, police data show.
Priority 1 calls — the most urgent type that officers respond to with flashing lights and sirens — are up 10% this year, said Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson.
Call priorities are ranked from 1 to 9 (most to least serious). Priority 2 calls are up 23% and priority 3 calls have risen 13%. Most lower-priority calls have declined or remained flat.
Dayton Police officers are issued PPE and can use it at their discretion or as needed on calls, a spokesperson said.
The department has a sufficient PPE supply to meet immediate needs, but it continues to look for opportunities to add to its inventory, officials say.
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The CDC generally says that law enforcement has a low immediate health risk of contracting COVID-19 while performing daily routine activities.
But at a minimum, police officers who come into contact with people suspected of having the virus should have a pair of disposable examination gloves, eye protection, disposable gowns or coveralls if possible and face masks, according to the federal agency.
Dayton police officers practice social distancing as much as possible, but they can’t always stay six feet from citizens.
Bus drivers, others need masks
The city of Dayton also is asking community members to donate homemade cloth face masks to pass out to Greater Dayton RTA workers and grocery store employees, said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
Bus drivers and cashiers, clerks and other employees doing important work that ensures citizens can buy food and get around deserve some help protecting themselves against infection, Whaley said.
“This is a way to help our front-line workers who are often forgotten,” she said.
Whaley said she has crafted two dozen masks from T-shirt material and other fabrics for family, her senior policy aide, public affairs staff and others.
Wearing a mask is a smart decision when around other people, especially indoors, she said.
“We should all assume we have it, because a lot of us can be asymptomatic,” Whaley said. “These masks are a sign of kindness … this is a way I can protect others from me.”
City commission office director Ariel Walker made about 50 masks last weekend that she passed out to family, finance employees and other staff and their loved ones.
Walker made the masks from layered cotton to help people from spreading their germs.
Masks can be donated at City Hall at 101 W. Third St. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Community members can drop them in a bin at the Third Street entrance.
Masks also can be mailed to Attn: Communications & Public Affairs, 101 W. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402.
Dayton accepting mask donations
Masks can be donated at City Hall at 101 W. Third St. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Community members can drop them in a bin at the Third Street entrance.
Masks also can be mailed to Attn: Communications & Public Affairs, 101 W. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402.
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