Ebola outbreak has police demanding more safety products
A Windsor safety product supply centre says the Ebola crisis has hampered his ability to keep his store stocked.
Jim Lucier of Lucier Glove and Safety Products says there is a one-week waiting list for hazmat suits, gowns, gloves and goggles.
“The suppliers I have, have allotted a lot of them to the hospitals, No. 1. Secondly, I think a lot of the airports and the fire and safety and the police, they’re allotting a lot to them,” Lucier said.
There is currently a one-week wait for more supplies, Lucier said.
In the nearby community of LaSalle, the police department there recently ordered 40 infectious disease kits, consisting of booties, gowns, goggles, respirators, gloves and disinfectant wipes. A single outfit costs approximately $25.
The directive came from Chief John Leontowicz.
“He’s very in tune with what’s occurring not only locally and nationally but also globally. And he’s been monitoring the information about the Ebola outbreak for some time,” said Det. Sgt. Kevin Beaudoin, the department’s communicable disease coordinator. “We felt that there is a possibility for this deadly disease to make its way to Canada.”
LaSalle officials consulted the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and the Peel Regional Police public health nurse.
Beaudoin said LaSalle police spoke with Peel Regional Police because they are “on the cutting edge” of preparation because Pearson International Airport, the country’s busiest airport, is in its jurisdiction.
Peel Regional Police public health nurse Alexis Silverman is also the chair of the Ontario Association of Designated Officers, an organization of designated first responders that works to prevent and mitigate exposure to infectious diseases. Silverman is also a contributor to the Designated Officers’ Manual For Infection Prevention: Reducing the Risk for Front-Line Staff.
“They have a lot of information about this,” Beaudoin said. “They’re the ones developing and assisting us in putting these practices into place.”
An interview request made to Silverman wasn’t immediately returned.
“Our administration has been very proactive. So we’ve taken steps to hopefully mitigate the chances of our officers being exposed to a disease as deadly as Ebola," said Beaudoin.
“We’re concerned about all communicable diseases. The police officers don’t have the luxury of knowing everyone’s personal health history, their lifestyle or travel history.”
