VITAL DONATION
Troy first responders receive sanitizing sprayers
TROY, N.Y. » A donation has been made to the Troy Fire Department and Police Department of new electrostatic backpack sanitation sprayers. The sprayers will be put into immediate daily use by both departments to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The donation is a gift from the combined forces of MVP Health Care, CDPHP, and Quick Response.
“We were looking around to see what our community needed in the mayhem,” said MVP Vice President of Community Engagement Ellen Sax of the donation. “We partnered with CDPHP and Quick Response, who had these sprayers, and we thought wouldn’t it be a good idea to have these sprayers for the first responders in Troy.”
“We had teamed up a few times before,” added CDPHP Public Relations Manager Natalia Burkart. “It all came together so quickly, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
The fire department and police department each received one sprayer, fully equipped with all necessary parts and accessories. The sprayers are battery operated and can run for 6-8 hours of continuous use when fully charged. The battery itself takes about half an hour to recharge.
The spray solution used in the electrostatic sprayer is environmentally friendly. The
key ingredient is thyme, which is CDC- approved. The solution was tested at Saratoga Hospital before being put into regular use by Quick Response.
“We actually wound up having to hire more people to focus on the sprayers,” commented Bob Serafini with Quick Response. “The spray can be used on any surface, even electronics, and electrostatic sprayers are ten times more efficient than a pump sprayer.”
What makes an electrostatic sprayer so efficient is the way it does its job. Spray from a pump sprayer lands on the surface it is aimed at, and then just sits there.
Additional manual effort is needed to move the solution around to get it to cover the whole surface, and it’s very easy to miss a spot - especially smaller seams and joints. An electrostatic sprayer generates power from its battery that electrically charges the solution droplets. When sprayed, the charged droplets form a sort of energy field that encapsulates the surface, spreading out into every nook and cranny.
The new sprayers work fast, too. Any surface that is sprayed is clean and ready to use again in five minutes. The light odor from the spray dissipates just as quickly.
“The technology behind these things is amazing,” commented Sax.
“These people work in close proximity to each other all day long, and come into contact with the public in trying times,” Troy Mayor Patrick Madden said. “If the virus were to get into either station, it would spread like wildfire. We have lots of protocols in place; this is another one. We’re very grateful to MVP, CDPHP, and Quick Response.”
Madden continued, “I think it’s spectacular that we can use this spray - it’s not toxic, and you just spray and go.”
“It’s a great partnership. We appreciate the donation,” Troy Police Chief Brian Owens said. “Quick Response had been coming in to do decontamination for us, and now we can do it ourselves. This equipment lets us clean faster and more efficiently, and it’s less corrosive than a bleach-based solution, which is nice. We’re so happy to have them.”
Troy Fire Chief Eric McMahonagreed. “It’s going to make our efforts more efficient and effective to keep our crew safe as well as the citizens of Troy,” he said. “We like to joke at the station, ‘if it moves, put a mask on it. If it doesn’t, spray it down.’
“The death of the police sergeant from COVID really brought it home for us - a lot of us knew him and he was well respected. It made it really important for us to keep our crew safe. This donation is awesome.”
Plans are also in place to donate electrostatic sprayers to first responders in Albany and Schenectady. Sax and Burkart are grateful for the opportunity to be working together to support the community, ignoring the fact that under different circumstances, their two companies would be considered rivals.
“In a pandemic, it’s important for people to come together to help the community,” Sax said. “MVP’s vision is to create healthy communities, and this is one way to do that.”