LANSING — The Wayne County Sheriff’s office will receive personal protective equipment through a donation from two law firms, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.

The PPE will help protect first responders during the COVID-19 crisis.

The firms, Chicago-based Edelson PC and Saxena White PA of Boca Raton, Florida, arranged for the donation of 3,500 face masks, 3,000 plastic face shields and hundreds of individual pocket-sized hand sanitizers after learned of the need for the equipment through Nessel, according to a press release.

“With the help from the Attorney General’s office, Homeland Security and other entities donating to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, we are able to move forward with confidence that both our deputies and inmates are protected in alignment with the procedures and protocols being followed by the CDC,” said P.B. Atterberry, director of communications at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

The equipment was produced by Petra & Holum, a Chicago packaging company that transformed its facility to make PPE through a donation from Edelson PC.

The hand sanitizers were sourced through Saxena White’s current vendors, who were able to secure the necessary materials. Edelson then purchased the PPE goods directly from the facility to be donated to hospitals and first responders.

The first shipment of 500 masks were overnighted and arrived on Saturday. The remainder were scheduled to arrive today.

“Wayne County is one of the hardest hit regions in the state when it comes to COVID-19 cases,” Nessel said. “I am incredibly grateful to those first responders who put their lives on the line during this pandemic, and this very generous donation made to Wayne County Sheriff’s Office personnel will go a long way.”

Michigan has more than 25,600 positive cases of COVID-19, with more than 11,600 of those being in Wayne County, according to the latest figures. The county also has 760 COVID-19 deaths, which is about 47 percent of the roughly 1,600 total deaths statewide.

Governor Whitmer has ordered Michigan residents to stay at home to stop the spread of the disease until at least April 30.