Local fire departments in central and southern Wisconsin are planning to pool resources and assist each other in the event of a serious shortage of protective personal equipment, or PPE. Wausau Fire Department EMS Division Chief Jared Thompson told NewsChannel 7 that purchasing PPE amid the nationwide shortage brought on by the spread of the novel coronavirus has become one of the department’s top concerns.
“You’d be foolish not to take this into consideration,” Thompson said. “It’s being spread rapidly.”
Thompson said mail chains between fire departments as far south as Beloit and Janesville are circulating, and larger departments with better PPE stockpiles are examining how they can join forces and potentially share supplies if the crisis deepens.
“We’re all kinda moving forward and facing this together,” Thompson said.