Photo By Maj. J. Scott Detweiler | From left, U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Lucas Wysock and Technical Sgt. Christina...... read more read more
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Colchester, Vt. - Airmen assemble and distribute thousands of COVID-19 testing kits while simultaneously moving hundreds of PPE packages out of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) warehouse ahead of school re-openings on Sept. 8.
Operating out of two separate bays, Master Sgt. Karl Johansen, test-kit assembly team supervisor, and Tech. Sgt. Alex Airoldi, SNS warehouse team supervisor, both from the 158th Mission Support Group, 158th Fighter Wing, have been coordinating with the Vermont Department of Health over the last several weeks to design and refine new logistical tactics for processing and distributing medical supplies throughout the State.
On July 17, Johansen and his team of nine, volunteered for a request from the Vermont Health Department to support the assembly and distribution of COVID-19 test kits, which had previously been processed by the labs themselves. Since that day, the team has assembled over 40,000 kits, freeing the labs to focus on processing tests more efficiently.
Their efforts contributed directly to the State’s ability to conduct over 16,000 tests from Aug. 21-29, as announced by Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who has stated that widespread testing is critical to gathering the data necessary to safely reopen the State’s economy, as well as schools on Sept. 8.
“There is no playbook for this,” said Johansen. “But by bringing together all of these different agencies we are forming processes to take on these new challenges.”
Flexibility has been key to their success, according to Johansen. Some days they report to the lab to help manufacture saline for test kits, others they form assembly lines to build as many as 3,000 kits in a single day. Many of the kits require coolers to keep the virus alive until it can be tested, after which the team receives them back from the lab and sanitizes them for reuse.
The Airmen on Johansen’s team come from across the 158th Fighter Wing, ranging from positions in finance to avionics.
“It’s been cool to see the ramp up of testing before school,” said Airmen Logan Abell, 158th Mission Support Group, 158th Fighter Wing. “It feels good to be a part of the process.”
A diverse team of Airmen has been working since March to support logistical operations at the SNS Warehouse. When Scott announced the State would be distributing PPE to schools across the State, the order came to Airoldi’s team on Monday, Aug. 17.
By Friday, Aug. 21, the team had successfully prepared 1,600 school nurse PPE kits and shipped the first pallets to schools in Chittenden County, St. Albans, Berlin and St. Johnsbury. Pallets for the rest of the state left the warehouse the following Monday, Aug. 28.
“Our mission here at the warehouse is to assist the Vermont Department of Health with the management and distribution of critical medical PPE,” said Airoldi. “This ensures Vermonters have the necessary resources to aid in the prevention and protection of this ever-evolving public health emergency.”
According to Emily Pareles, the Vermont Department of Health deputy branch director for medical logistics branch at the State Emergency Operations Center, the state will soon have as much as 6 months of PPE pre-positioned at the warehouse.
“Really this comes down to helping protect our own communities,” said Johansen. “By helping the Vermont Department of Health distribute these tests we’re doing our part to help the state keep the curve as flat as possible.”
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2020 12:23 |
| Story ID: | 377318 |
| Location: | COLCHESTER, VT, US |
| Web Views: | 153 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Vermont Air National Guard supports Vermont Department of Health prepare for school re-openings, by MAJ J. Scott Detweiler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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