• Posted: April 22, 2020
• better communities, Continental Electric, Swedish Covenant Hospital

Across the United States and in Chicagoland, those on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 are in need of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help them safely treat and respond to the needs of those who have been infected. And while Powering Chicago’s members have been working tirelessly to power Chicago and suburban Cook County’s critical facilities in the past six or so weeks, they’ve also stepped up with donations of masks and other protective equipment that help protect doctors, nurses, and others who are essential to taming the outbreak, saving the lives of our friends and neighbors, and helping the region work toward a return to normalcy. 

N95 masks are a standard piece of equipment on many of the job sites where our members work, and with a surplus available, a number of contractors from the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago have put their supplies to good use. On the city’s north side, Swedish Covenant Hospital received 1,000 N95 masks from Continental Electric, which also recently donated 1,000 plastic face shields to the West Suburban 3D Face Shield Printers group.

Powering Chicago was recently able to secure a number of masks that will be distributed to IBEW Local 134 electricians this month to ensure each of our members who is on a job site has the proper safety gear.

When Elgin’s Sherman Hospital reopens on April 24, a portion of the face shields from Continental will be immediately put to good use. Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a variety of other groups, Continental has helped prepare the facility to be reopened to care for COVID-19 patients after it sat vacant for more than a decade. Joining Continental in donating PPE have been Sharlen Electric, Gurtz Electric, and Super Electric, which have provided N95 masks and gloves to a number of hospitals in the metro area. In addition, Super Electric has provided meals to those on the frontlines since the outbreak in Chicagoland began. In the broader construction industry, the Construction Safety Council has also played a leadership role through the donation of N95 masks originally intended for use during the organization’s training programs.

Perhaps the most enterprising contribution from a Powering Chicago member has come from Sammy Cozzo, a fourth-year apprentice at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute. With his friend and partner on the project, Sammy is producing 3D-printed masks, face shields, and “ear savers,” delivering them several times a week to local hospitals and first responders in need of PPE. To date, he has donated approximately 5,500 pieces and counting. He plans to continue producing the PPE as long as it’s needed, saying, “Once we realized the need that’s out there, we decided we couldn’t stop. You have doctors and nurses getting masks with tears in their eyes because they haven’t been able to find them anywhere.”

As long as the COVID-19 crisis continues, the unionized electrical industry in metro Chicago will continue to do its part to better communities throughout the region and support those affected by the virus. For regular updates on how we’re responding to the pandemic, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.