New Britain High School has become a manufacturing site to make 22,000 medical face shields for local health care workers and first responders.
The New Britain school system reports that, “The NBHS Gymnasium has been transformed into a ‘pop up’ manufacturing site to make the face shields,” and that, “Volunteers are being sought from the community to join the assembly line to help in production.”
New Britain schools Superintendent Nancy Sarra commented that, “The medical professionals in our community treating others and combatting COVID-19 every day during this unprecedented time are true heroes.”
“Many of them are also alumni or parents of our students,” Sarra said, “and therefore beloved members of our CSDNB family. We are proud that we can support their courageous efforts through the manufacturing capabilities we have at New Britain High School during the school closure.”
The Consolidated School District of New Britain (CSDNB) also says that,
Volunteers are being sought from the community to join the assembly line to help in production. Under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), strict regulations will be followed to keep employees and volunteers safe and healthy. Each day, there will be two shifts consisting of three assembly lines per shift and eight volunteers per assembly line.
The school district is directing people interested in volunteering to an online sign up form or to, “email Sondra Sanford at [email protected].” The New Britain school system is also directing people to, “read the procedure for volunteers to ensure CDC guidelines and safety measures are followed.”
According to the school district,
The project is the result of a partnership between OKAY Industries, CSDNB, and CFGNB – which donated $50,000 towards the materials to produce the face shields, with the support of several other partners. The face shields were designed by OKAY Industries engineers, with approval by Hartford HealthCare.
The face shields are to go to, “Hartford HealthCare for medical professionals at its multiple facilities, including the Hospital of Central Connecticut,” according to the school district, and, “the Hospital for Special Care, first responders in New Britain, Berlin, Plainville, and Southington, the EMS Academy in New Britain, CSDNB health offices, and other Greater Hartford first responders and area shelters.”
