Gary Sinise Foundation Gifts NASA-Grade Decontamination Units to Fire Dept. During Virus Outbreak

A fire truck and command vehicle in San Marcos, Texas, on April 16, 2016. Philip Arno Photography/Shutterstock

In the wake of the CCP virus outbreak, the Gary Sinise Foundation has gifted a grant for decontamination units to an east Texas fire and EMS agency. The grant exemplifies the foundation’s mission to look out for the safety of first responders.

According to EMS World, Lumberton Fire & EMS in Hardin County, Texas, was on the receiving end of the generous donation and plans to install environmental decontamination units in both the fire station and in the department’s ambulances.

Assistant EMS Chief Jim Jones explained that amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus,  commonly known as novel coronavirus, pandemic, these decontamination units will greatly reduce the risk of transmitting the highly contagious pathogen.  They will also “provide continual carcinogen and pathogen protection for our fire suppression and EMS personnel,” Jones told EMS World.

In lieu of decontamination equipment, Lumberton Fire & EMS has outfitted one of their ambulances with plastic sheeting as a precautionary measure. On March 28, 2020, the agency reported that it had purchased new decontamination units and was eagerly awaiting their installation.

Gary Sinise onstage at the 26th National Memorial Day Concert Rehearsals in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2015 ©Getty Images | Paul Morigi

The NASA-manufactured decontamination units will employ HEPA filtration to remove airborne pathogens, bacteria, viruses, mold, and carcinogens inside the agency’s buildings and ambulances. “Lumberton Fire & EMS is committed to serving our community,” said Jones. “We applaud the Gary Sinise Foundation for their commitment and dedication to our veterans, firefighters, police, and EMS personnel.”

The Association of Texas EMS Professionals also took to Facebook on March 29 to share their gratitude for the donation. “A major thank you to the Gary Sinise Foundation for their support of the Texas EMS community,” staff posted.

Supporting Lumberton Fire & EMS is by no means the first charitable giving that the Gary Sinise Foundation has undertaken since the global outbreak of the virus. On March 9, 2020, the foundation reminded its network of the First Responder Outreach program and pledged to award funds to first responders who need personal protective equipment on CCP virus-related service calls.

The foundation made the announcement on its website.

“Part of our mission at the Gary Sinise Foundation is to serve and fiercely protect those who so courageously defend and protect our nation,” said the foundation’s CEO, retired Air Force General Robin Rand.

“To that end,” Rand continued, “it is of the utmost importance to prioritize the health and safety of our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, everyone who supports our noble mission, and the public at large.”

Police officers wearing protective face masks at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Roissy, France, on Jan. 26, 2020 ©Getty Images | ALAIN JOCARD

The foundation also announced on its website the offer of financial assistance through their H.O.P.E. (heal, overcome, persevere, and excel) program to any first responder who is personally affected by the disease.

While the Gary Sinise Foundation is also involved in extensive outreach work, it has postponed several events and selected programming as of March 2020 with the safety of its supporters and beneficiaries in mind.

In the meantime, the foundation and its extended family of supporters is continuing to look out for first responders as they fight on the front lines of the global pandemic.

Nurses clean their hands at a drive-up clinic set up by the University of Washington Medical Center's Northwest Outpatient Medical Center in Seattle on March 17, 2020. ©Getty Images | Karen Ducey