Firefighters use new filter to prevent COVID-19 spread
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GLENDALE, Arizona (KPHO/KTVK) — Every day, firefighters risk their lives to keep us safe. COVID-19 has only made that risk even greater. Just ask Glendale Fire Department Captain Anthony Valverde.
“If you’re having a hard time breathing, and I know you’re positive for COVID, I’m still gonna do anything I can,” said Valverde. He went from helping patients fight COVID to fighting the virus himself.
“It was scary,” said Valverde. “It was something that I never experienced before.”
He believes he caught COVID while working. Captain Ashley Losch says he’s not the only one.
“We’re at about 250 sworn members that are working in the field, and 85 have been positive,” said Losch. “It’s a huge percentage of our workforce.”
Crews are usually transporting several COVID patients each day, coming very close to the virus.
“We’re in the back of an ambulance that is basically like 15 square feet, so they’re either having a breathing treatment, or they’re constantly coughing,” said Valverde.
Losch says Glendale crews started using a new filter last spring to prevent COVID from spreading.
“We realized the amount of particles that were coming out as we were bagging someone was very large, and that was what was going to put us most at risk is being exposed to particles inside someone’s lungs where COVID was living,” said Losch. “The HEPA filters actually take 99.9 percent of those particles out of the air when we’re intubating someone and when we’re bagging them.”
Even with this extra measure, it’s been nearly impossible to keep crews from catching COVID. Valverde is proof but says the measures are necessary to cut the risk as much as they can.
“We know we’re putting ourselves at risk, but we have that PPE in place to protect us the best we can,” said Valverde.
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