Jason’s innovation helps frontline staff
Innovative work by Wicklow County Council staff during the Covid-19 lockdown will be showcased on Wednesday, July 1.
#YourCouncilDay will highlight the innovation shown by local authorities in supporting the community through the lockdown.
Faced with the challenge of social distancing, and with many of their own staff working from home, local authorities brought novel solutions to the complex problems posed by lockdown.
Thousands of public servants adopted new skills and devised innovative ways of delivering services to those who needed them most including Community Support Programmes to co-ordinate a multi-agency response to deliver services while Covid-19 restrictions are in force.
One example is a County Wicklow firefighter’s unique approach to solving an issue with face masks for healthcare workers.
Based in Carnew Fire Station, Jason Keogh learned from a social media post that a 3D printer could be used to make a simple plastic device that relieved the pressure on the ears of people wearing protective masks.
‘I heard of people in hospitals whose ears were bleeding after a day wearing the surgical masks,’ Jason said.
‘In the fire service we wear them going out to the calls, and we are happy to take them off after only two or three hours. I can’t imagine what it would be like after a 12-hour shift.’
‘The piece I make sits at the back of the neck and the loops of the mask go over it, relieving the pressure on the skin. I had a 3D printer and had never really done anything with it, so I made a few for some friends, and then somebody put it up on Facebook and the next minute I was swamped.’
Jason has now made around 4,000 and is still going. Demand was so great that he had to buy another 3D printer because the first one could only make five at a time.
I gave 120 to Wicklow Fire Service, to cover every station, and I sent some to Wexford General Hospital, Tallaght Hospital and University Hospital Waterford,’ he said.
Each piece costs only a few cents to make and Jason has not charged for them. However, some friends have made donations to allow him to buy filament which is the raw material used by 3D printers.
‘The current crisis has highlighted the true nature of public service in communities across the country – exemplified by the responses of Jason and his colleagues,” said Councillor Pat Kennedy, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council.
‘The unique circumstances of COVID-19 prompted Councils to innovate in how they provided both day-to-day services and additional supports to the public.’
Social media users throughout the community are also asked to post their experiences of Council initiatives using the hashtag #YourCouncilDay.