Coronavirus: WilCo Mask Makers Deliver First Batch To EMS Workers

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — The Williamson County Mask Brigade strikes again: Just a little over a month since its creation, the team of volunteers making face coverings for first responders delivered 100 of its creation to county EMS workers on Thursday.

Since its recent inception, the Wilco Mask Brigade has been busy making between 2,000 to 3,000 fabric face coverings that are seen as an effective tool in helping to blunt the spread of illness transmitted via respirattory droplets from coughing or sneezing.

The Mask Brigade has two mask types that they are asking volunteers to make: The COVID Ranger Mask worn over N95 masks by medical personnel and first responders, and the Safety Mask, which can be worn by nursing home residents and essential county workers interacting with members of the public.

So far, 1,700 masks have been made with the help of volunteers led by District Judge Donna King, organizers of the drive said. One team of 140 volunteer workers from Celebration Church has contributed more than 2,100 hours toward this effort, officials added.

Stony Point High School engineering teacher Travis Claypool is among the many volunteers assisting Celebration Church, using his high-power laser cutter and computer system to crank out fabric cutting faster, officials noted. Claypool is able to cut eight masks a minute, officials added, making the cutting aspect of mask production more efficient.

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“Our family is a family of service, and we are fortunate to be able to give back and help folks where we can," Claypool said. "I bought the machine because I enjoy making things as a hobby, but it feels great to be able to use it now to serve the community.” .

About 250 Sun City residents, most of them members of a group called Sun City Fabric and Fiber, also have stepped up to the cause, officials said in a news release. In order to meet the demand, the volunteers created an assembly line with people assigned to different roles such as cutting, pleating the fabric, and sewing the masks together with a goal is to create 2,000 masks a week.

“These [masks] go to the entities that we love and use like nursing homes and food banks," Sun City Fabric and Fiber President Jean Prouty said. "It’s really a good cooperative effort for the entire county."

Organizers said the masks have been made possible with not only the help of county residents, but private businesses, too. Williamson County partnered with Reid’s Cleaners and Laundry to thoroughly wash, press and package the masks. Karl Schulte, owner of Reid’s Cleaners and Laundry, donated the labor.

Williamson County is handling the distribution of the masks, according to the news release. The first to receive the COVID Ranger Masks will be Williamson County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement personnel, corrections officers, and Emergency Medical Services paramedics, according to officials. Healthcare workers in COVID-19 response units also will receive the Ranger Masks, officials added. Safety masks will be available for nursing home residents and municipalities with the highest case count, followed by essential Williamson County workers. If more masks are available, they will be given to essential workers providing essential services, according to organizers.

For more information on joining the Mask Brigade, visit www.wilco.org/howcanIhelp.