Around the world, everyone is lacking face masks and needed protective medical gear. Hospitals are struggling to find the supplies they need to help their patients and stay safe in the process. Luckily, there are many local heroes doing their best to change that. One of our local heroes is Mr. Benjamin Davis, a science and engineering teacher at Sahuaro.

“I was asked by the Pima County Superintendent’s office to join a local group of people producing these face shields (Pima 3D Agents of Shield.) I was thrilled to be able to help in our community’s time of need,” said Davis. With his 3D printer, he has been creating PPE face shields, which are the full-face shields healthcare workers use for protective purposes to keep any of the patient’s discharge off of their faces, reducing the risk of infection.

So far, Davis has made a total of 87 PPE face shields for Pima County healthcare workers. He is able to make about 9 face shields per day and 60 per week. Each mask takes about $1.50 each to make.

On April 22nd, 2020, Davis received an email from Pima County’s superintendent’s office that the shortage for face shields is no longer; however, they are ready to restart production when needed again. Davis said, “We now have a local network of people who, together, can create a number of these masks if there is a critical shortage.”

Now, not everyone has a 3D printer to help the community, but there are other and simpler ways to help during this pandemic. Davis advises, “I am not an expert on what our community’s greatest needs are, but people shouldn’t feel guilty if they don’t have a 3D printer. By following the advice of our health professionals to reduce the spread of the virus, you are already helping immensely. This includes social distancing and wearing a face mask when in public.”