As Firehouse Sees It: COVID-19: Adapting, Overcoming and Preparing
Editor's note: Find Firehouse.com's complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
The response to COVID-19 has been unprecedented on many levels, and I first would like to thank every firefighter who rolled out to scenes where pandemic patients were in need, every chief and officer who attended countless meetings in person or online to plan his or her community’s next steps, and everyone who suited up to decontaminate stretchers, apparatus and equipment to prevent the spread of the virus to other members of their departments and their families.
The capability of the fire service to adapt immediately to changing guidelines and, in so many locations, the lack of proper equipment to respond safely and effectively has been incredible. Although the fire service often is slow to change or update its ways, firefighters have been using their pent-up energy to overcome the many challenges that they face, including creating decontamination devices, modifying their ambulances and equipment to minimize exposures between patients and crews, scouting locations and setting up satellite fire stations. All the while, firefighters went above and beyond to keep citizens feeling protected as they read books via social media, supported community groups by distributing food to shut-ins and carried out myriad other outreach efforts.
I encourage all chiefs, officers and firefighters to document their experiences and what they are learning, to create policies in preparation for the future. Some health authorities suggest a second round of this pandemic or the possibility of this becoming a seasonal outbreak, so departments need to prepare for the future while properly equipping themselves. Department and city budgets were being hit hard in many areas yet need to ensure that there are enough supplies on hand for another outbreak. Evaluate how long your agency was self-sufficient, identify shortfalls and begin to procure those materials to create a stockpile, including PPE and decontamination equipment. I know of a dozen departments that split their crews to prevent entire stations from being vulnerable. Does your community have the resources available, including buildings and technology, to create pop-up fire stations should the need arise?
Before all of this happened, word came from a few firefighters that they would refine the way that they decontaminate medical equipment, patient compartments and cabs along with uniforms and PPE after day-to-day EMS calls. What will your PPE be for the next respiratory infection call, round of the flu or even entering facilities that house high-risk patients?
Documentation is key during and after the pandemic. Much like nationwide efforts, including the National Firefighter Registry and National Fire Operations Reporting System to track exposures to carcinogens at fires, you need to document each contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients to ensure that you’re protected down the road. You owe that to yourself and to your family.
A critical element to consider is the long-term effects on your mental health. Although most of the major tragedies that first responders witness are brought under control within 24 hours, this weeks- and months-long event is taking a toll on firefighters. Fire chiefs need to ensure that their members have access to counselors and other services and to offer support to their members’ families. With family members being concerned about their loved ones at work, exposed firefighters being quarantined away from their families for long periods and a shift for millions of people from their normal routines to staying at home, it’s expected that many will suffer from depression, anger and sleep deprivation. Check out Episode 4 of the “Today on Firehouse Podcast” to hear from representatives of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance and The Mental Hygiene Project, along with a firefighter who was quarantined at: Firehouse.com/21133424.
Like any incident you respond to, the time to prepare is now. Assess your department’s preparedness as far as availability of information, training and equipment. Double that effort to take care of the firefighters and their families. Without a foundation of mentally prepared responders, you can find yourself unprepared to respond to the next emergency.
You can find all of Firehouse’s COVID-19 coverage at firehouse.com/covid-19.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
