NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Ocean State Job Lot has donated $11,000 worth of personal protective equipment to city's first-responders.

 

"We didn't know this was coming," Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said Thursday in front of Ocean State Job Lots on Curran Highway. "We much appreciate the partnership and the community involvement and this will go to good use. It will help protect us and help us protect the public."

 

The cache included digital thermometers, surgical masks, KN95 masks, and face shields. The equipment will be used by police officers and firefighters responding to emergency calls to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.  

 

Store manager Jennifer Socie said the donation is a corporatewide initiative and that Ocean State Job Lots' owners always look for ways to give back.

 

"Our owners are very philanthropic and they love to give back to the community," she said. "They saw an opportunity to really help out the first-responders."

 

She said the store has been collecting donations from customers for about four months now that also went toward the purchase of the PPE.

 

"Our shoppers really stepped up and our shoppers shop frequently," Socie said. "They would make a donation every time they shopped and every little bit helps."

 

Meranti said this is the second donation of PPE that Ocean State Job Lots has provided local first-responders. He added that the donation will most definitely help during the anticipated second wave of COVID-19 expected this fall.

 

Police Chief Jason Wood agreed.

 

"I think this is great and it is good to see some community support," he said. "We have always had a good relationship with Ocean State. We can use all the PPE we can get because we don't know what the fall is going to bring."