Provide PPE to homeless medical shelter workers

April 4, 2020 9:20 am

How do people working in homeless medical shelters not have PPE? I was thinking about this all night. I’d volunteer to be in the shelters, but I have diabetes so I couldn’t do it without proper protections in place. However, the shelters don’t have PPE like police and fire do, not even at the medical shelter.

I did ask my doctor if I could volunteer to help in the shelters. It was a hard no.

People with who are homeless with symptoms of the coronavirus are being sent to a separate hotel. But workers in those hotels and people who would volunteer to work there – including doctors and nurses – aren’t being provided with PPE? The people on the front lines, serving the most vulnerable in our community need protections as much as the police and fire department staff. I wrote this email this morning, because I have been hearing about this all week and last night I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

from:		Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com
to:		All Alders <allalders@cityofmadison.com>, “Bottari, Mary” <MBottari@cityofmadison.com>, “Wahl, Vic” <vwahl@cityofmadison.com>, “Davis, Steven” <sdavis@cityofmadison.com>, “Price, Arthur” <aprice@cityofmadison.com>, “Winter, Mindy” <mmwinter@cityofmadison.com>, “Ruckriegel, Ed” <ERuckriegel@cityofmadison.com>, “Phillips, Rob” <RPhillips@cityofmadison.com>, JHausbeck@publichealthmdc.com
cc:		“O’Keefe, Jim” <jokeefe@cityofmadison.com>, “Rhodes, Linette” <LRhodes@cityofmadison.com>, “Neuschel, Kimberley” <KNeuschel@publichealthmdc.com>

Surely if the police or fire department were to respond to assist someone in the hotel set aside for people without homes who have symptoms of the coronavirus, they would have PPE. I’m so very happy that they have the equipment they need to be able to respond to emergencies and keep themselves safe. It is imperative.

But then I must ask. Why then, do the people working every day in that shelter, and those willing to do so, why aren’t they also provided PPE? Surely they are at greatest risk minute by minute of every day. Why aren’t they afforded the same protections as our police and fire department staff?

Please do what you can to provide PPE to the people on the front lines working directly with those who may be symptomatic.

Please. Now. Yesterday. Last week. I would have thought this would be solved by now.

Brenda Konkel

p.s. Really, the front line workers at all the shelters should be provided this equipment, but if there is not enough to go around, please prioritize the safety of those working in the medical shelter. PPE would get much needed volunteers to give the staff working so very hard needed relief. Please provide these front line workers with the same safety protections as police and fire.