Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is stepping in to help police, EMTs, firefighters and Health Care Workers by manufacturing and donating more than 1 million protective face masks per month. This week the company announced plans to manufacture face masks via a Facebook post on the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles North American Page.

The company will start manufacturing face masks in the coming weeks and will distribute across the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

This isn’t the first crisis that Fiat and Chrysler contributed to. In World War II they were a rival in the manufacturing of tanks, trucks, other military equipment and heavy machinery. This does in fact mark another action of a multifaceted global program being developed by the company through applying manufacturing, supply chain and engineering expertise to support the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

Commenting on this initiative we reached out to the late Walter P. Chrysler’s great-grandson, Frank Rhodes for comment about FCA building these ventilators. Here is what Mr. Rhodes had to say…

 “Protecting our first responders and health care workers has never been more important. Ever since the crisis in war times dating back to World War II when Chrysler Corporation was the main contractor to the United States Military manufacturing tanks, trucks and other equipment to keep up with the firepower other countries possessed. So why not join the initiative again in this case and help protect our first responders and health care workers”

In addition to this support the company is going to increase the production of ventilators. FCA canvassed there contacts across the healthcare industry and it was very clear that there is an urgent and critical need for face masks. The FCA Group will focus immediately on installing production capacity for making masks, and supporting those most in need on the front line of this pandemic. 

FCA will be working through national, regional and city authorities to ensure that the donated face masks are being directed to the people and facilities in the most immediate need. The company will disclose further actions related to the fight against the Coronavirus in the coming days.