By Donita Naylor Journal Staff Writer
WEST GREENWICH — In just two days, the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team has collected seven pallets of supplies for testing and protection against corona-virus that could have sat in storage, forgotten, during a global shortage.
RIDMAT, a civilian nonprofit with a facility in West Greenwich and about 2,000 volunteers, many of them medical professionals in the Medical Reserve Corps, are trained, ready and equipped to assist in case of disasters.
Brooke Lawrence, executive officer, said Sunday that in the case of the coronavirus pandemic, his organization is part of the “governor’s initiative to collect personal protection equipment from the citizens of Rhode Island.”
Needed items are listed on a website, https://tinyurl.com/u6qaqbh
Anyone who wants to donate any of the listed items is asked to fill out the form, entering their contact information and what listed items they can donate. There’s even a place to include a photo. If the items are accepted, someone from the health department gets in touch and gives instructions for dropping them off.
“What we don’t want here is for people just to bring stuff,” Lawrence said. Unwanted donations become a disposal problem and obstruct the mission.
There’s only one dropoff point, he said, and it’s not centrally located. Still, about 75 people completed the forms, were accepted, found the site and donated their item, in just the first two days.
For more about RIDMAP, visit https://www.rimrc.org/volunteer-training-program. dnaylor@ providencejournal.com
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On Twitter: @donita22