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Tennessee firefighters, paramedics and other first responders are being given the names and addresses of patients who tested positive for COVID-19.
The disclosure comes following an agreement between the Tennessee Department of Health and the state's Emergency Communications Board, The Associated Press reports. The memorandum of understanding was signed April 3, but the agreement was not publicized.
“We know that first responder access to information regarding COVID-19 cases is of utmost concern,” Brandon Gibson, a senior adviser to Gov. Bill Lee, wrote in an email to mayors April 3, according to the AP. “Once the (memorandums of understanding) are executed, the Department of Health and ECB expect the information flow to begin fairly quickly. We ask for your patience as the process begins and please know that the health and safety of all Tennesseans is our primary goal.”
The ability to know the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients will allow Tennessee first responders to be better prepared heading to emergency calls.
“If we have no idea, then we’re having to be much more cautious as we approach like having to stand at the door and ask some questions as we get close to the patient,” Washington County and Johnson City EMS Chief Dan Wheeley told WJHL-TV. “If the patient says, ‘Oh yeah, by the way, I’ve tested positive,’ then we have to back out, everybody has to put on their PPE, and then we have to start all over.”
That extra information also will save on already-scarce personal protective equipment.
“We don’t want to dress out in full PPE or use N95 masks if we don’t need to,” Wheeley told WJHL. “It’s wasteful of the limited resources. So by screening questions or by alerts from the state health department, we know how to dress out and protect the patient before we get to the call.”
