The second of two National Guard trucks delivered personal protective equipment to the Fire Department, fulfilling an order of 250 Tyvek suits, 250 N95 protective masks and 250 surgical masks.
The first shipment took place last week with the second Wednesday morning at Amesbury fire headquarters on School Street.
“This is our lifeline. The worst thing we can do here is have sick firefighters and paramedics,” said Fire Chief Ken Berkenbush, who also serves as the city’s emergency management director.
Berkenbush said the equipment came courtesy of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency after he placed an order with the Framingham-based agency about three weeks ago.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no Amesbury firefighters or paramedics have contracted COVID-19. Berkenbush added that one first responder was recently sent home as a precaution after a family member was tested for the potentially deadly virus.