Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dallas County Public Works (DCPW) department has continued service as an essential department. Some staff members have continued their important work in the field while others have shifted to working remotely. “We have implemented social distancing practices and utilized technology to manage the risk to our partners and staff,” said Public Works Director Alberta Blair,

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak when the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) became apparent, Lonna Schurrman, daughter of Dallas County Inspector Jimmy Vermillion, began making masks for family, friends and her father’s coworkers. Each of Schurrman’s masks include a personalized touch, and she modifies her mask designs (e.g., masks with loops, ties or elastic head bands) to