The Maryland Department of Transportation’s commitment to the health and safety of employees and customers is on display in a large meeting room at its Hanover headquarters.
Tens of thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment, secured through collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), are packed in boxes and stacked high on palettes. The materials are being distributed to our agencies – MDOT Maryland Port Administration, MDOT Maryland Aviation Administration, MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration, MDOT Maryland Transit Administration, MDOT State Highway Administration and the Maryland Transportation Authority – to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re very excited (MDH was) able to help us be forward-thinking and provide safety and protection for all of our team members and customers, hopefully through the end of the year and possibly into the spring,” said MDOT Deputy Secretary of Operations Sean Powell.
The PPE includes:
– Well over 100,000 disinfectant wipes
– Almost 25,000 boxes of disposable gloves,
– Almost 10,000 disposable masks,
– More than 5,000 face shields,
– More than 2,000 N95 masks,
– 600 gowns and
– 200 gallons of sanitizer.
Distribution to the agencies began Friday, July 31 with MDOT MAA and MDOT MPA.
“It makes me feel great helping out; being part of the solution,” said Eric Daxon, deputy director of MDOT’s Office of Fleet, Facilities and Administrative Services, who spent part of the week helping to arrange the supplies by agency, and in some cases, office location.
Philip Nichols, MDOT deputy chief of staff, has been keeping track of the PPE and said it was nice to know the department was working proactively to keep people safe – something it’s done since the start of the pandemic.
For example, Secretary Greg Slater and other employees personally picked up hand sanitizer from a St. Michaels distillery this spring when supplies were hard to come by.
Meanwhile, MDOT employees have been serving on MDH’s Hospital Surge Task Force for several months, helping secure, supply and staff tents at medical facilities across the state. Personnel from several MDOT agencies have helped gather and deliver the materials..
In addition, several VEIP stations have been serving as COVID-19 testing sites.
“It’s been a great effort on our part,” Deputy Secretary Powell said, “and as always, we like to say MDOT delivers.”
To learn more about MDOT, go to: mdot.maryland.gov.
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