Firefighters take new precautions during coronavirus pandemic

Click here for updates on this story

    GREENSBORO, NC (WGHP ) — Health officials expect coronavirus to peak in the next two weeks, but staying home isn’t an option for law enforcement or firefighters.

The Greensboro Fire Department is still on the front lines responding to calls in the community.

One of the most important tools helping firefighters continue to do their jobs while protecting themselves from the virus is personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as PPE.

Greensboro Fire Chief Bobby Nugent says they are following the guidelines outlined in the department’s infectious control policy.

There are currently four firefighters to a truck. When they arrive on a call only two of them will leave the truck to assess the situation while keeping the required social distance at six feet.

If the patient is COVID-19 positive or showing symptoms then the firefighters will suit up in protective gear.

The department has been proactive in training firefighters to know when it’s necessary to use the higher level protective gear, so they are not wasting resources.

The fire chief says they have to be smart about when they use PPEs, because it’s in high demand and short supply.

“It’s difficult. We are not having a lot of luck like a lot of other people, but we feel that with the stock we have now, our reuse policy and the education that we have given to our employees of when and when not use certain types of PPE is going to help us get through the surge that we may see,” said Fire Chief Nugent.

Chief Nugent says the CDC will allow them to reuse some of the protective gear it it has not been soiled, damaged or exposed to COVID-19.

The fire department is also limiting call responses in an effort to reduce potential exposure.

Chief Nugent says they are focusing on life-threatening calls. In return, that’s dropped their call load by 30 to 35%.

The chief says they are using the extra time to implement more training and prepare for the potential surge in cases.

The chief knows his firefighters are risking exposure anytime they respond to a call. He says they already have plans in place if firefighters have to be quarantined.

“It won’t be very pretty, but we will still be able to respond. We will still have our trucks with people on them. We may not have many people on a truck or as many trucks at one time, but we have a good policy and good model to handle that situation,” said Fire Chief Nugent.

For the chief, it’s about being prepared no matter the outcome.

“Some people say that we are overreacting. I hope that we can say that when this is all over with, that we overreacted and we didn’t have to do what we did. But I’m thinking that what we are doing now is not overreacting. It is getting us to be ready and prepared for when something may happen,” said Fire Chief Nugent.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.