Retailer Donates PPE After Roxbury Fire Department Attack

ROXBURY, CT — Ocean State Job Lot has donated nearly $12,000 of personal protective equipment (PPE) following an arson attack on the Roxbury Fire Department. The department had its entire stockpile of PPE destroyed in the attack.

The donation includes KN95 masks, medical masks, hand sanitizer, protective gowns, face shields and more.

The retailer organized the donation within 24 hours of the attack. The incident was brought to the attention of its philanthropic leadership by Rich Stomski, the Seymour store's new team leader who will transfer to the soon-to-open Danbury store.

"It’s truly horrible what happened in Roxbury, but I’m glad that we were able to provide relief so quickly," Stomski said in a statement.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the OSJL Charitable Foundation has donated $25 million to providing relief to the communities in which it operates.

"What happened at the Roxbury Fire Department was a despicable act against the entire community," David Sarlitto, Executive Director, Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation, said in a statement. "Our first responders are doing most of the heavy lifting in our communities, so anything we can do to support them, we are eager and happy to do."

See related: Roxbury Fire Department Damaged, PPE Destroyed