Daytona Beach, FL - The Ocean Center is now a distribution center for personal protective equipment. Some 94,000-square-feet of warehouse space has been converted into a temporary staging area for critically-needed personal protective gear such as masks, gowns, gloves and face shields.
Volusia County Emergency Management is procuring the materials from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to be distributed among local agencies. Pallets of supplies are being shipped here and then sorted and inventoried by county staff in public protection, corrections and emergency management and readied for distribution to first responders and area hospitals, healthcare facilities, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
“Our processes are working very quickly. We get it in as quickly as we can, and we get it out as quickly as we can,” said Mark Swanson, Volusia County’s deputy director of public protection. “We know that the agencies out there need these supplies. So we’re working very diligently to get those out.”
Volusia County Emrgency Management Director Jim Judge says having one large hub for all of the equipment to be processed and prepared for distribution is the most efficient.
“Having one central and secure point for deliveries and distribution for the entire county saves on time and potential for duplication of efforts,” said Judge. “The Ocean Center is the perfect location for all
logistical activities.”
