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Fire Department Leaning into Coronavirus Threat Response

Added precautions and policies implemented by the division in March, in order to prevent the spread and exposure of COVID-19, are still in place and will continue to be into the near future, said Springfield Fire Chief Brian Miller.

(TNS) - Members of the Springfield Fire/Rescue division say they are continuing to monitor and reassess the situation as they operate under extra precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Added precautions and policies implemented by the division in March, in order to prevent the spread and exposure of COVID-19, are still in place and will continue to be into the near future, said Springfield Fire Chief Brian Miller.

He said that in his opinion, they will continue to deal with the pandemic until a vaccine is created for the virus. COVID-19 is the illness caused by the novel coronavirus that is spreading throughout the world.

There has been a recent increase in related cases in Clark County. However, that can also be attributed to greater access to testing opportunities.

“I think we have grown accustomed or comfortable with the threat. The unknown early on made people a little anxious,” Miller said of the fire division. “After you implement the plan and work through it, you become accustomed to it.”

Personal Protection Equipment

Miller said first responders have been continuing on with their daily operations with the use of additional personal protective equipment as well as using procedures designed to limit contact and exposure in the community.

Not much is expected to change in how the division is operating as residents adjust to a new normal caused by the pandemic and area businesses, that were temporarily shuttered, began to reopen.
First responders have been able to adapt as the division has been able to keep up with PPE supplies and establish a burn rate for that equipment, which is how long personnel are able to use it before it needs to be replaced.

In order to avoid a potential shortage in PPE —which was a major concern during the beginning of the pandemic— firefighters have been instructed to reuse certain equipment in accordance with guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Springfield Fire Captain Brian Leciejewski said the division has been relying mainly on private vendors in terms of restocking PPE. However, they still run into back orders for certain supplies.

Miller said the division was able to secure a number of supplies before the health crisis. Though they have been relying mostly on private vendors, the division has also received some items from the Clark County Emergency Management Agency.

In terms of daily operations, dispatchers have been instructed to ask screening questions and will continue to do so. The purpose is to find out if anyone at a scene is displaying symptoms associated with the coronavirus before sending out a first responder.

Residents have been asked to maintain social distancing with first responders when able. That includes talking from a distance or meeting them outside depending on the nature of the call. Firefighters have been instructed to assess the situation first and determine what additional PPE is needed in order to respond.

Adjusting to a new normal
In March, the division had looked into how operations would continue if large numbers of firefighters were exposed to COVID-19. That included what to do if an entire shift or even if a station needed to be quarantined.

In case of having to operate with half of the division’s staff, roughly 60 people, the division created plans that would have extended shifts from 24 hours to 36 hours. However, Miller said that turned out not to be the case as only 9 firefighters were quarantined at one time in the end of March due to possible exposure.

The patients that those firefighters were potentially exposed to did not test positive and the firefighters eventually returned to their shifts. Miller said they have not had to place any other personnel on quarantine since then. He said other potential options discussed in March, including suspending mutual aid to other county departments, have not been implemented.

It is unclear what the total financial impact of the pandemic will be. However, there have been cuts to the city’s capital improvement fund. Initial talks and plans regarding potentially building a new fire station have been stalled. The planned purchasing of a new fire engine as well as other vehicles have been taken off of this year’s budget. Roughly $20,000 worth of miscellaneous equipment purchases also went away.

“We still may not see a full recovery before we have to plan for 2021,” Miller said.

In March, the fire division also closed its stations off to the public and have only focused on essential services. During the pandemic, there has been a slight dip in their daily run volume, with that number going from around 50 per day to just below 40.

Fire inspections that had been temporarily suspended have started to be conducted again as portions of the economy begin to reopen. Right now the division is scheduling those inspections and those inspectors are required to wear mask.

The division is also starting to roll out additional fire training, with added precautions, as it plans to add eight new employees. They are expected to start on Tuesday.

The division will also conduct a combined fire academy in June with Clark State. However there will be a number of safety regulations put in place.
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