To protect and to serve may be the motto of police departments across the country, but it’s the Hobbs Police Department that will be a little more protected now. A grant was recently approved by oil and gas company Oxy that enabled the Hobbs Police Department to purchase several Biomist sprayers to act as a preventative protection measure against COVID-19

Biomist sprayers are designed to disinfect sensitive surface areas, including food manufacturing and healthcare environments. The Hobbs Police Department will be using their sprayers primarily to disinfect the inside of their police cruisers after transporting individuals as a means to eliminate any potential remnants of the virus in hanging or resting water droplets.

The handheld, battery-operated Biomist sprayers work by atomizing alcohol into a very fine spray that effectively neutralizes live COVID-19 viruses within moments. The spray is nonflammable, making it safe to use in settings that can involve active flames.

As an added bonus, the Biomist sprayers are effective at killing a host of other viruses and bacteria, giving Hobbs police officers that much more protection from the risk of contamination.

The Hobbs Police Department and its more than 100 active officers has been supportive of COVID-19 safety measures since the pandemic began. In December, several officers ran a social media campaign showcasing how they mask up for in an effort to encourage community members to follow suit.   

Oxy, which is short for Occidental Petroleum Corp, is among the oil and gas giants who are currently pumping low-cost oil from the Permian oilfield in Hobbs – now regarded as the largest oilfield in the United States.

Oxy utilizes a technique that harnesses carbon dioxide emitted during the pumping of oil and nearby coal production to increase the amount of oil derived from each well. In doing so, the carbon dioxide becomes locked underground rather than released into the atmosphere – making Oxy’s method of oil harvesting more environmentally-friendly than most.

Since Oxy’s oil pumping technique is both low cost and effective, the company has been able to stay active during times when other production companies have stalled – and to consider doubling its operations in Hobbs in the future. Due to its operational and business practices, Oxy was named first on Fortune magazine’s list of most admired mining, crude-oil production companies.

With the donation of the funds for the Biomist sprayers in tandem with its carbon dioxide reduction practices, it’s clear that Oxy is keen on demonstrating its commitment to keeping the Hobbs community working safely throughout the duration of the pandemic and well beyond.