WABASH COUNTY, IL — Wabash County Sheriff Derek Morgan today announced that his office has incorporated hospital-grade UV-C light technology into its disinfection protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the County’s jail, call center, offices and other spaces. The County partnered with Command Sourcing, Inc., an industry leader in corrections technology support, to deploy R-Zero’s UV-C disinfection system, Arc.
“As law enforcement, our top priority is protecting and serving the people of Wabash County and we need to do that without disruption” said Sheriff Morgan. “As COVID-19 spreads in our community, adding this disinfection technology helps us keep staff and inmates safe while significantly lowering the chance that the virus could spread in our facilities. Using R-Zero’s UV-C light technology to quickly and easily disinfect our spaces without the use of chemicals lets us focus on keeping Wabash County safe.”
UV-C light is a proven disinfection technology known to kill over 99.99% of all pathogens including COVID-19. The unit purchased by the Sheriff’s Office -- R Zero’s Arc -- can disinfect air and surfaces in a 1,000 sq ft. room in just seven minutes, freeing up time and resources for the County. The Sheriff’s Office purchased Arc with federal CARES Act funding at no additional cost to Wabash County taxpayers.
“UV-C light significantly reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission and other infection diseases common in correctional facilities including hepatitis, tuberculosis and influenza,” said R-Zero Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Wade. “The technology has long been used by hospitals as one of the most efficient and effective ways to disinfect air, water, and surfaces, but historically, hospital-grade units have been cost-prohibitive for most organizations. Now, our partnership with Command Sourcing, Inc. helps bring R-Zero’s hospital-grade UV-C technology to county jails and other facilities at a fraction of the price.”
Sheriff Morgan’s office has been using Arc to disinfect jail cells in a matter of minutes after each inmate is discharged. The Office is also using Arc to regularly disinfect staff spaces to keep essential functions operational when COVID-19 cases arise.
In one example, after an employee at the County’s 911 call center tested positive for COVID-19, the Office immediately rerouted calls to a nearby center, brought in the Arc unit to disinfect the space, and reopened the call center in under 10 minutes. This rapid disinfection protocol allowed the County to keep the essential work of fielding emergency calls going with almost no disruption.