Rosco Vision Systems, an automotive vision safety manufacturer located in Queens, New York, has joined initiatives to help supply much needed PPE and equipment to medical workers. New York State is the hardest hit state in the U.S. with the most positive cases of COVID-19 and the most deaths resulting from the novel coronavirus.
Before the pandemic hit New York earlier this year, Rosco formed a coronavirus committee within the company to stay ahead of emergency situations, and to help protect health and job security for all employees.
“As a member partner of the critical manufacturing sector of the Department of Homeland Security, we moved quickly to make sure that we maintained our operation for our customers who are critical to the defense industrial base, the transportation sector and so many other vital sectors” says Ben Englander, Rosco’s CEO.
As a preemptive measure during the projected apex of COVID-19 in New York City, Rosco shutdown manufacturing facilities for 10 days from April 1 through 10 for a professional deep clean of the 150,000-square-foot location and offices. During this halt in manufacturing, Rosco concentrated efforts into 3D printing of ventilator splitters, assembling face shields and working with suppliers to source and donate PPE for healthcare workers in the local community.
Rosco connected with Keep Breathing Inc., a nonprofit created in evolving response to provide COVID-19 relief. Keep Breathing is comprised of a team of multidisciplinary philanthropists, formed to provide open-source designs, as well as manufacture and donate 3D-printed ventilator splitters, intubation boxes, ear savers and powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) for medical staff on the front line.
Using 3D printer files designed by Philip Sweeting, the vast groups of volunteers were deployed for printing, including Rosco.
“We could not have accomplished what we set out to do so fluidly and efficiently had the world not stepped up to join forces, unified in this one mission to help save lives”, says Angel Pai, Keep Breathing co-founder. The ventilator splitters and ear savers have been donated to the New York State of Health, as well as directly to hospitals for testing and made available for use in the case of emergency.