Preparedness from the Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency and the generosity of local residents have put Guthrie County in good shape for its Personal Protective Equipment supply.

As the COVID-19 pandemic nears its peak in Iowa, PPE is greatly needed for hospital, nursing and care center staff as well as for emergency medical personnel, public health nurses, and those more vulnerable to the virus. Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf reminds Raccoon Valley Radio that they’ve been organizing for the pandemic for months, “Like we discussed here a couple weeks ago we started ordering PPE items like masks and N95s and the gloves and things like that. We started actually ordering those clear back in February so some of those orders are now coming in so we have some supplies that we’re getting directly from those orders to where we’re able to help them keep their stock at a 14 day level.”

Kempf adds both counties’ hospitals, public health offices, and long-term care facilities are doing daily counts of their PPE supply, and are asked to calculate their daily use rate, to ensure they always have a two-week supply on hand before needing to request assistance from the state Emergency Operations Center. Homemade masks and other supplies are also welcomed from the public. In Guthrie County, donations can be made at the Health Services Building in Guthrie Center. Call ahead at 641-747-3972, as the doors are locked. In Adair County, drop PPE off at Greenfield Lumber during regular business hours.