The Cherokees Nation is providing first responders and emergency personnel in northeast Oklahoma with a supply of personal protection masks to keep them safe as they continue the fight against COVID-19 in their communities.
Cherokee Nation is providing more than 2,500 KN95 protective masks to fire departments, police departments and emergency management teams across the tribe’s 14 counties that expressed a need for the equipment. The tribe is also sending an additional 5,000 KN95 masks to the Navajo Nation, whose citizens have been impacted by the virus more than any other Native community in the country.
For many first responders, securing protective masks has been difficult due to low supplies and high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. With Cherokee Nation’s own health system properly stocked with personal protective equipment, tribal leaders worked for several weeks to secure the KN95 masks for area first responders.
The tribe donated the masks to fire and police departments that expressed a need, including Bluejacket Volunteer Fire Department in Craig County; Butler Volunteer Fire Department in Delaware County; Centralia Volunteer Fire Department in Craig County; Chance Community Fire Department in Adair County; Disney Fire Department and Police Department in Mayes County; Foyil Community Volunteer Fire Department in Rogers County; Inola Fire Department in Rogers County; Lakemont Shores Fire Protection District in Delaware County; Nicut Rural Fire Department in Sequoyah County; Redland Fire Department Inc. in Sequoyah County; Stilwell Fire Department in Adair County; Tahlequah Fire Department in Cherokee County; Taylor Ferry Fire Department in Wagoner County; Vian Volunteer Fire Department in Sequoyah County; Warner Volunteer Fire Department and Warner police Department in Muskogee County; and Welch Fire Department in Craig County.
Cherokee Nation also donated 100 masks each to the emergency management departments in each of the Cherokee Nation’s 14 counties, which include Adair County, Cherokee County, Craig County, Delaware County, Mayes County, McIntosh County, Muskogee County, Nowata County, Ottawa County, Rogers County, Sequoyah County, Tulsa County, Wagoner County, and Washington County.
