The National Guard arrived on Sunday with much needed protection gear for Plympton first responders including N-95 masks and other protective equipment. Since the arrival of COVID-19, protective gear has been in the news because it is so difficult to get. Fire Chief Stephen Silva said that the supplies have loosened up and now his department is in good shape.
The chief made the news this week with his war against the giant online retailer Amazon. Plympton Fire Department has been a municipal customer of Amazon for years, and has enjoyed a good business relationship with them. Once the COVID-19 virus pandemic hit, Amazon restricted the purchase of many protective equipment items so they would be available to hospitals and emergency responders, and not hoarded by resellers.
All Plympton had to do is fill out a form. And another form. And fill it out again. Weeks went by, Silva said, and no product orders came through. Other fire departments recommended to Amazon by Silva were getting their orders, but Plympton was not. Silva finally enlisted the aid of Channel 25 News to put their media might behind it, and Amazon did call them back, assuring them that Plympton would be taken care of. Problem solved!