Pelham plant to start making much-needed PPE for health care workers

PELHAM, Ga. (WALB) - A Pelham manufacturing plant is switching over from making protective gear for firefighters to using the same ideas to protect front line health care workers and offering new ideas to help address the medical PPE shortage.

Fire Dex, an Ohio company with a Pelham manufacturing plant, is preparing to switch from making firefighter protective suits to making protective suits for health care workers who are on the frontlines, treating COVID 19 victims.

“We expect to be shipping this product by the end of the month,” said Fire Dex Director of Marketing Todd Herring.

FIre Dex saw that most health care and EMS clothing is one use and then it gets thrown away, which puts a strain on the supply chain.

So the company started developing medical covers that can be cleaned and used again and again.

“Hey, can we make a reusable version of these isolation gowns or COVID virus protective barriers so that it’s not just one use but it can work, provides for protection and we can easily clean it and have it ready to go again?” Herring wondered.

Fire Dex said their experience making protective gear helped them do the testing required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for approval.

“So the final validation pieces are in place now. We are scaling this up for commercialization,” said Herring.

Herring said they have 50 people who work in their Pelham plant with a mission for "serving those who serve.”

Fire Dex said it plans to ship about 100,000 protective health coverings in the next two to three months.

If you are interested in learning more about Fire Dex’s PPE, you can visit the company’s website.

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