When I read stories like the one below, it makes me wonder how we function as a nation.
“U.S. medical stockpile running low as Delta variant threat looms”To add insult to injury, I recently heard that small suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE) that geared up to meet the demand have seen orders fall off and some will be closing and disposing of the equipment used to make the products — which are in short supply!
It is the challenge of low bids and overseas manufacturing beating the cost per item to produce quality products here in the United States. There was supposed to have been initiatives to “on shore” these products here in the United States, but we must be too slow in implementing or it fell off the table as the immediate crisis passed.
Eric Holdeman is a nationally known emergency manager. He has worked in emergency management at the federal, state and local government levels. Today he serves as the Director, Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR), which is part of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER). The focus for his work there is engaging the public and private sectors to work collaboratively on issues of common interest, regionally and cross jurisdictionally.
