Plans are underway to put precautionary measures in place as fears of a widespread, nationwide virus outbreak continue.
Emergency responders throughout Erie County including police, firefighters and ambulance personnel are taking precautions against the coronavirus in the wake of revelations that firefighters and police officers in Washington state have been placed under quarantine for possible exposure to the virus.
Renee Lamis, Erie Mayor Joe Schember’s chief of staff, said city officials discussed the situation at a Monday morning meeting at City Hall.
Lamis said plans are underway to put precautionary measures in place within both the Erie Bureau of Police and the Erie Bureau of Fire, including providing officers and firefighters with protective masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and other gear.
“We want to be proactive in getting everybody together, determining what the protocols are and make sure that they’re followed, so we don’t have people running into emergency calls unprepared and possibly being exposed to that virus,“ Lamis said. ”We want people to be prepared.“
Multiple news outlets have reported that more than two dozen firefighters and two police officers in Kirkland, Washington, near Seattle, have been placed under quarantine for possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Six people have died in Washington State as a result of the coronavirus. One of those fatalities was a resident of a Kirkland nursing home that firefighters responded to; officials now suspect the virus could have been spreading in Washington, undetected, for several weeks.
Further, a man in Manatee County, Florida, who hasn’t traveled to any countries with a coronavirus outbreak and had no known contact with anyone who did, has also tested positive for the virus, suggesting a possible wider community outbreak there.
Florida has declared a public health emergency.
Erie Fire Chief Joe Walko, who is also coordinator of the city’s emergency management, said the city has been getting “constant updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the state, and of course we are trying to stockpile supplies like personal protection equipment, including the N95 (respirator) masks.
“It may help, but it’s so new we don’t know,” Walko said.
Walko said firefighters will take “all of the precautions we can,” especially those who routinely respond to emergency medical calls.
“They are the first boots on the ground who make contact with people. We are going to do everything to protect them,” Walko said. “It’s not just masks, it’s eye protection. We do have some gowns.”
Erie Police Chief Dan Spizany added: “We have directions from the Department of Health. The state sent out bulletins, as well as the federal government. We are following and monitoring to see what develops.”
Walko said he realizes that some citizens could become upset if they encounter an emergency responder who is wearing glasses, a mask and/or a protective smock.
“But we’ve got to take care of the firefighters. They are the first responders,” Walko said. “They don’t know what they are dealing with.”
Walko said the coronavirus outbreak warrants such a cautious and severe response.
“It’s going to happen sooner or later in Pennsylvania,“ Walko said. ”It’s going to hit Erie, too.“
Dale Robinson, director of the Erie County Emergency Management Agency, said that when and if the coronavirus reaches Erie County, it likely won’t change how first responders approach their jobs.
“This is a virus, so there are already protocols in place for universal precautions for ambulance crews and stuff like that,” Robinson said. “That’s all implemented at the local level.”
So far, none of Erie County’s first responders have expressed concern to Robinson about a shortage of supplies, including respiratory masks.
Robinson added that he doesn’t expect much to change procedurally even when the first case arrives.
“It’s going to be business as usual, if you will, until the system gets overloaded or until the Department of Health or somebody sets different guidelines,” Robinson said. “I know it sounds odd, but it’s just one of those things where, if people will call 911, we’ll send an ambulance. Unless there’s a human resource shortage or a material shortage, it’ll be business as usual.”
Contact Kevin Flowers at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.
Contact Tim Hahn at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.
Contact Matthew Rink: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNrink.
