Accelerating Mobile Vaccination and Testing with the Charlie Station

The surge of vaccinations coupled with a deluge of infected patients as a result of COVID-19, has pushed an already overburdened healthcare system to a breaking point. This breakdown led to vaccinations being carried outdoors, where civilians could drive up to a testing and vaccination spot without having to worry about indoor social distancing. This new approach is perfected by OPS Public Safety through our unique mobile response unit, the Charlie Station. How has this solution helped accelerate mobile COVID testing and mobile vaccinations?

The designers of the Charlie Station had a single purpose in mind help get a handle on COVID-19. They wanted to create a versatile, remote deployable, powered COVID-19 testing station with screening and vaccination capabilities. OPS Public Safety and Wellness Systems Inc. put their minds together and designed the Charlie Station. The mobile medical unit allows for seamless PPE distribution (personal protective equipment) and offers socially distanced COVID-19 vaccinations. A unique edge to the Charlie Station is its versatility to fit several scenarios outside of COVID-19.

Two obstacles to an effective vaccine delivery in the COVID-19 climate, are minimal access to care and some may fear the vaccine’s novelty, or do not have the money, proximity, or transportation needed to receive local hospital care.

In February 2021, these obstacles were addressed by an innovative healthcare platform launched by storage solutions company OPS Public Safety and Wellness Systems, Inc. — the Charlie Station. This highly adaptable Made in America medical mobile response workstation can function as a mobile COVID-19 testing and vaccination station. It is eligible for FEMA funding. However, the unit can be deployed beyond COVID-19 applications, such as natural disasters, homeless initiatives, and global medical response. The Charlie Station’s mobility, technological features, and structural integrity render it an unprecedented multipurpose workstation in the public healthcare space.

Rolling a Charlie Station out into the field can be a substantial stepping stone to improved access and reach-out efforts to those without current care. Even emotional barriers to finding necessary care can be overcome by the Charlie Station and its premier focus on accessibility.

The mobile medical unit is compact and lockable to ease transport between locations. The platform is adaptable to allow swift access to crucial supplies, which can be stored in a variety of EZ STAK aluminum cabinetry inside the station. Wheels and a foldable structure give an edge to healthcare professionals who operate on remote sites, as the Charlie Station can be placed and operated safely in virtually any location. The steel chassis allows easy placement and can be pulled down and locked to secure the station’s contents.

Its modern design reflects consideration for outdoor use, rendering it a functional all-weather unit, optional protective curtains can be used to create socially distant workstations shielded from the elements by a retractable canopy. For example: by enclosing the workstations in the protective curtains, healthcare professionals can deliver screenings, temperature checks, COVID testing, and COVID vaccinations through small openings in the curtain’s design. The Charlie Station is also commonly used as a health and safety checkpoint. As an example, the unit is extremely practical for remote site check ins, testing, and/ or vaccinations. Deploying Charlie Station minimizes puts medical resources at the fingertips of care providers, while maintaining sanitary social distancing in an open-air environment.

The Charlie Station is a powered platform, designed to accommodate monitors, tablets, and optional dual mini fridges for testing and vaccination purposes. Built in batteries provide basic lights and some functionality, with It additionally features two hands-free sanitation stations for touchless cleaning and one monitor on each side. The technology built into the station uses shore power to support chargers, lighting, 125V outlets, and USB outlets for the tablets and monitors. Multiple cabinets and drawers for PPE storage can be found in the station’s main workspace too, so a shortage of supplies will not pose an issue.

This product’s top-tier technology, multi-purposed nature, and rapidly deployable functionality largely serve to bring advanced tools out of the hospital and into the field for improved public access.

The Charlie Station flaunts a steel chassis that, once opened, can provide socially distanced mobile COVID testing for two people. As previously discussed, the unit can serve as a mobile COVID vaccination station too. Its makeup consists of stainless steel, durable aluminum cabinetry on the interior and exterior, and medical-grade countertops on the workstation. Above the countertops, there are outlets for laptops, printers, and medical equipment plugs, plus an optional dual mini fridge. A 110-volt shore power supply or a 12-volt battery are required to provide up to 10 hours of electricity.

A critical duty that the Charlie Station can greatly assist with is continuous testing and vaccinations by mobile crisis response teams. Whether it’s indoors, outdoors, local, or a remote location, swift screening and testing can be done from behind the versatile protective curtains which can be altered to surround the station. Windows in the curtain provide the capability to carry out processes much quicker, meaning continuous testing will take up significantly less time.

Below, you will find a list of other processes addressed by the Charlie Station:

• PPE Kit Distribution
• Admittance Verification
• Temperature Checks
• Walk-Up Hand Sanitizer
• Health Testing Compliance
• Zone System Monitoring
• Hygiene Support

Wellness Systems CFO Gian Starita has commented on the Charlie Station’s robust build, “Nobody’s really designed anything like the Charlie Station… It’s very unique. People are trying to adapt other equipment to fit the role of testing and vaccination, but the Charlie Station is actually designed for this.”

It is primarily targeted towards COVID-19 relief efforts, but this unit is uniquely flexible in serving a long list of other functions as well. Using it to deliver relief supplies after a natural disaster or sending it into homeless communities for mobile medical care are functions being discussed. Its future implications for American medical response as well as global medical response are boundless.

Furthermore, Shane Lawrenson, Director, OPS Public Safety spoke on the station’s features, “It has an amazing LED lighting system on the inside, and it’s built for inclement weather. You can lock the whole thing down and leave it out in the heat of California or in the cold and snow of the northeast. It’s robust. It’s not going to degrade.”

The Charlie Station’s sturdy aluminum cabinetry and heavy-duty steel chassis with locking mechanisms make it a force to reckon with in unfavorable weather conditions. Its structural integrity is built to protect operational technology within and is even robust enough for deployment in the case of natural disasters. In rainy weather, staff inside the curtains can enclose themselves and continue to resupply other employees instead of being soaked throughout the day.

Starita concluded the interview with praise, “It’s been a real symbiotic process…”. “Not just because they have such a strong manufacturing capability, but they’re a joy to work with, and they see the vision here. Charlie Station is going to help a lot of people during and after the pandemic, so we can’t wait to get it out there.”

The Charlie Station might be COVID-19 specialized, though its potential for more is bound for realization upon the pandemic’s conclusion. Starita’s vision of what the unit can do after the pandemic aligns with that of Lawrenson’s. In the instance of a natural disaster, difficult terrain can pose less of an issue for remote work thanks to its mobility and robust makeup.

With the collaboration between OPS Public Safety and Wellness Systems Inc. earlier this year, mobile vaccination efforts have seen an innovative twist in how efficiently screenings, testing, and vaccinations can now be executed. Thanks to their product, lack of trust and accessibility to healthcare can be remedied with improved remote and outreach efforts. Its mobility, versatility, technology, and structural integrity are fit for a catalog of objectives.

As far as mobility goes, the Charlie Station is built to disassemble easily when required and move around quickly. The steel chassis attaches to a platform, which can fold down and lock before rolling it away on its wheeled frame. Due to its versatility, the Charlie Station can be safely placed and operated in any area.

As discussed, the curtains can be set up to form a supply post where a professional can safely screen incoming staff, carry out COVID-19 duties, and resupply other employees from a protected space.

The structural details are what make the Charlie Station a powerful tool in remote work where durability and advanced engineering are needed. Its locking mechanisms keep contents secure while cabinets are constructed of rigid aluminum. The technology built into the Charlie Station is impressive as well. The frame protects operational technology like monitors, tablets, and mini-fridges within the station, all powered by either a 110-volt shore power supply or a 12-volt battery with over 10 hours of electricity.

Continuous testing is another area that the Charlie Station can support, as its efficiency in carrying out tests and vaccinations is unmatched. The windows cut into the protective curtain give quick access to patients and staff, streamlining the continuous testing of staff on-site.

Lastly, the Charlie Station is accompanied by numerous alternate benefits that could go unnoticed. Among these benefits are admittance verification and temperature checks, which follow staff screening processes with attention to minimizing contact. Hands-free sanitizer stations are available for easy sanitizing and PPE kit distribution is supported as well.

For more information on the Charlie Station, please contact us online or call us directly at 315.595-3300.

About OPS Public Safety

An industry leader in providing mobile workspace solutions, OPS Public Safety has over a decade of rich experience in providing safe, secure & customized vehicle storage solutions for law enforcement and public safety agencies.

For more information, please call us at 315-595-3300  or fill out our quote form to get started.