Chief Diana Matty has heard the cries of doctors across the country: They need ventilators.
As Palm Beach County braces for a potential spike in coronavirus cases, the West Palm Beach fire chief has coordinated efforts with the county’s 10 other fire departments to let hospitals know they are poised to loan ventilators, should the need arise.
Together, the departments have about 70 ventilators available to loan to hospitals to help treat patients with the respiratory virus, said Matty, who also serves as president of Palm Beach County Fire Chiefs Association.
“It’s a stopgap measure in a time of crisis,” she said.
The ventilators are simple versions of high-tech machines at hospitals, “a rotary phone in a world of iPhones,” she said.