Massachusetts unveils new emergency supply warehouse

FRANKLIN, Mass. (WLNE) — Massachusetts health officials gathered Thursday at a brand-new warehouse in Franklin that they said will allow for better responses to public health emergencies in the state.

“It’s the culmination of years of hard work by our dedicated health staff and by our partners,” Department of Public Health Director of Preparedness and Emergency Management Kerin Milesky said.

Officials said the new emergency supply warehouse will be a “significant” help for responses to public health emergencies.

The warehouse was located off of Interstate 495 and close to both Interstate 90 and Interstate 95.

“It’s a 40 minute driver to Worcester, it’s a half hour drive to Providence, and some days it’s 50 minutes to Boston, other days it’s about two hours,” Rep. Jeffrey Roy said.

The opening happened at a time of uncertainty for healthcare nationwide, amid significant shakeups at the CDC by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Being prepared these days has gotten more difficult,” Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein said. “Funding is uncertain, FEMA has been dismantled, and budgets are tight. Disasters, however, do not care about ideologies or town lines.”

The warehouse houses over 21 million individual items.

“As we unveil this next generation facility, we celebrate so much more than a building,” Goldstein said. “We honor a longtime pledge to the residents of this commonwealth. No emergency will ever have the last word, not here in Massachusetts.”