Local businesses donate hand sanitizer, masks and gloves to CFD

CHICAGO - As we face a shortage of hand sanitizer, masks and gloves during the coronavirus pandemic, some local businesses are making sure the protection equipment gets into the hands of first responders.

“I truly thank you because this is something we asked for,” said Chicago Fire Commissioner Richard Ford II.

He says four people in the department have tested positive for COVID-19, and 17 are in quarantine.

But to help stop the spread, businesses have stepped up.

“Whiskey and gin are wonderful, but they are not needed right now as desperately as hand sanitizer,” said Sonat Birnecker Hart, president of Koval Distillery.

On Thursday, Koval Distillery donated 200 gallons of hand sanitizer to the Chicago Fire Department.

“We received numerous requisitions from people and we started to feel as if we were involved in a war effort and that we needed to get this out to people in the trenches,” Birnecker Hart said.

Safety equipment manufacturer, MAGID, donated more than 2,000 N95 masks to the department and more than 40,000 pairs of disposable gloves.

“We’re really trying to take this horrible time and kind of use the fact that we are a safety company trying to protect people,” said Brittany Cohen, Marketing Specialist for MAGID Glove and Safety.

“This pandemic, this virus is a very serious foe and we need to throw everything at it,” Birnecker Hart said.

For those on the front lines, any help is appreciated.

“These donations go a long way to make sure we are able to protect ourselves and our families as we go about our serious business of dealing with those who are afflicted with the pandemic,” Ford II said.

MOBILE APP USERS: Watch Fox 32 News on the go by clicking here