Bergen Officials: 110K N95 Masks Purchased For Frontline Workers

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Bergen County officials and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center recently made a collaborative bulk purchase of 110,000 NOISH-approved N95 respirators from Protective Health Gear, a local manufacturing company based in Paterson. The additional personal protective gear will benefit Bergen County frontline workers.

“Since the outbreak of the global health crisis, my administration has taken measures to secure the largest stockpile of PPE in the State of New Jersey to make sure those on the frontline have the essential tools to protect themselves,” Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said.

Since the start of the pandemic, officials said that Bergen County's purchasing division has worked around the clock to maintain a stockpile of PPE.

“This didn’t happen overnight. Even with the county’s massive purchasing power, one of the earliest challenges we faced was finding vendors that could quickly turn around bulk orders of PPE. It is reassuring that we now have a line to a local manufacturer producing N95 masks only a few miles away.”

According to Tedesco, Protective Health Gear's production factory, which traditionally produces “high end retail store fixtures and displays,” initially shutdown because of the pandemic but retooled to begin producing PPE to supply frontline workers.

In early Sept. 2020, however, it became the first company in New Jersey to receive federal NIOSH approval under the public health emergency to produce N95 filtering face-piece respirators.

“This has been a long but exciting process for us,” said Brian Wolin, CEO of Protective Health Gear. “We are proud to be the first company in New Jersey to receive NIOSH approval under the public health emergency to produce N95 filtering face-piece respirators. We are in the business of helping our neighbors so it was our honor to facilitate this purchase with the County of Bergen and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, the largest public hospital in the state. We look forward to a continuing partnership as we work together to win the battle against COVID-19.”

County officials stressed that the demand for personal protective equipment, especially the highly coveted NOISH approved N95 respirator, remains high as hospitals and local governments continue to battle the pandemic and brace for a potential second spike in COVID-19 cases this fall.

“Preparedness, including having PPE at the ready is essential as we continue to wage the war against COVID-19. The next few months could be challenging with an uptick in COVID-19 cases and the onset of flu season. Having a local partner who can produce and supply N95 masks is a game changer. We are thankful to the county and our county executive for their dedicated efforts to ensure our healthcare professionals have what they need to safely care for our communities,” said Deborah Visconi, President and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.