New York, NY – The non-profit Allen Research Endowment has donated a set of portable oxygen generators to the Detectives’ Endowment Association [DEA].
Like many other essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City detectives have been hard hit by the coronavirus.
“Getting oxygen into the lungs is crucial in combatting coronavirus,” Laurence Allen told LaborPress. The oxygen generators (also known as concentrators) provide 30% to 93% oxygen purity, enabling the treatment of COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms.
Combatting deadly epidemics is something Allen and his family are all too familiar with.
“In 2014, my wife Michelle and I lost our 19-year-old son Bradley to the opioid epidemic,” Allen says. “Since that time, we felt that a lot of hospital care wasn’t that great. So, we decided to start a non-profit organization dedicated to helping to develop new medical technologies. When we heard about the coronavirus in January, that it had the potential to be serious, we acquired oxygen generators for our employees.”
With hospitals averaging something on the order of two to five Intensive Care Unit [ICU] beds per 10,000 patients, the Allens had the idea to donate the oxygen generators they acquired to hospitals as well as to their employees.
“Then, when we heard about the detectives in New York who lost their lives to COVID-19 and lost their benefits, we decided to reach out to [the DEA],” Allen says. “My wife and I made the donation to them.”
New York City was only providing 45 days of healthcare coverage to the families of detectives who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty.
“We felt this was not only wrong, but tragic — as some family members of those heroes have already lost their benefits,” Allen says. “We hope our city and state leaders will follow through on recent promises to provide full benefits to those families and act swiftly to right this situation.”
Allen adds, “We heard New York City was waiting for Washington but we couldn’t wait for that.”
“Due to their portability, these oxygen generators can be provided to detectives and their families who otherwise would not have access to enhanced oxygen”, said DEA President Paul DiGiacomo. “I continue to be impressed with the people of New York and their commitment to helping our members in blue who are tirelessly protecting New Yorkers during this pandemic. During crises like these, the importance of our work at the DEA is even more significant.”
