LEWES, Del. – Sound FX is re-purposing its tools to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The audio company is making face shields for local healthcare workers and first responders.

Sound FX is considered an automotive repair business on the list of essential businesses allowed to be open during the pandemic. Matt Schaeffer uses a CNC laser cutter on a regular basis to cut plastic or to engrave the panels used to cover anything he integrates into a car, such as speakers or amplifiers. Now he’s using it to cut materials needed to make face shields.

The face shields are heat-sealed shut and they can be cleaned and re-used. Schaeffer also wears rubber gloves and changes them every time he leaves the room. The first batch was donated to Beebe Healthcare on Tuesday.

President of the Beebe Medical Foundation Tom Protack says Beebe is grateful for the outpouring of support from the community.

“From individuals to businesses, and everyone else thinking about how they can help their local not-for-profit hospital in its time of need,” says Protack. “Every day, donors are reaching out and offering financial support,  free space for storage of supplies, rooms for medical teams to stay, gift certificates for food, and medical supplies. With the abundance of calls, we are asking people to go to our website beebehealthcare.org and learn in more detail how we can channel their wonderful gifts and donations.”

Georgetown EMS picked up 18 shields on Wednesday. EMS Administrator Lisa Fensick says that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused a great need for face shields among first responders. She says as far as she knows Georgetown is the first group of Basic Life Support (BLS) providers to receive anything like this. The shield is worn over an N95 mask to further protect paramedics and EMT’s should a patient cough.

“This is all new,” says Fensick. “With COVID-19 we have to be covered from top to bottom, especially if someone is displaying symptoms of the virus.”

“As a collective you’re going to be looking at the car audio industry as being able to contribute 30,000 to 50,000 masks,” says Schaeffer.

350 shields have been produced at Sound FX, but more elastic and PETG plastic is on the way to make a total of 2,500. All will be donated.

Next Sound FX plans to make 30 intubation boxes for local hospitals. Schaeffer says acrylics are on the way to start that project.