EAST BATON ROUGE – Last Thursday, EBR Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and city officials announced the launch of a new community-driven PPE transfer and distribution site, which has been created to support local hospitals and first responders.

Mary Bird Perkins, as a Baton Rouge Health District member, has volunteered to operate the PPE distribution center. The Center announces that it is beginning operations Monday and expects to be in full swing, Tuesday. 

"We are here because we have a crisis. We have a crisis in the shortage of critical equipment," said John Spain with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

In an effort to get, and distribute supplies like masks and gloves to hospitals, city officials will be using an airport warehouse at 9455 Plank Road for a drop-off location.

The supplies will then be processed and brought to prioritized hospital rooms.

"We will set up a 6 ft. buffer zone for inbound supplies where all of the drop offs can be delivered and safely handled by our staff," said Steven Cuelemans with the Baton Rouge Health District.

The Mayor says she's looking at business to help replenish personal protective equipment in area hospitals.

"We're calling on businesses, industries and medical and dental offices that are closed or not performing certain procedures to donate their protective equipment that can be utilized in hospitals," said Broome.

The site's hours of operation will be 9 to 11 a.m. Monday-Friday.

This will be the location — 9455 Plank Rd. Businesses can drop off any extra PPE they might have. It’s not open to the public, just those wishing to donate items @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/Zlr65A3N8K

— Sydney Kern (@sydneykern) March 26, 2020

The site will not be open to the public, only commercial businesses bringing donations.

Those businesses who wish to donate can visitwww.brhealthdistrict.com, to find specifics on the types of donations needed.