The Wanderer asked fire and police chiefs in the Tri-Town to respond to a battery of seven questions to get an inside look at how they manage the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Rochester fire and police were not able to participate in time for this week’s edition.
Neither Marion nor Mattapoisett had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 positive cases in its fire or police departments at press time. The risks that first responders take on a daily basis cannot be understated. At the same time, our phone conversations and email exchanges indicate an enormous amount of thought and meticulous care being consistently exercised despite fatigue and unprecedented stress.
Here are our seven questions followed by a summary of the responses:
1. Given that the Fire Department depends on its trained volunteers, how is the department assuring their safety if called to an incident? Do they have protective gear at the ready? Are they deployed in teams?
Mattapoisett Police is currently staffing at its regular level, but with restrictions.
“We have limited access to the police station. The public can enter through the front door and speak to the communication officer. All staff members enter through the employee door. No one can congregate in the station,” wrote Chief of Police Mary Lyons, noting that every officer and EMT is provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), a mask, gloves, gowns and face shield. “Every officer has a zone throughout the town. If additional help is needed, a second officer is dispatched to that zone to assist. The ambulance is staffed 24/7. Two EMTs and the zone cruiser respond to the medical emergency. If additional help is required, a second zone car will respond to assist.”
Marion’s staffing model differs for fire and emergency services because, while EMS is a 24/7/365 situation, firefighters are paid on call. “At 3:00 in the morning (Monday) there was a fire call so they came from home to the station,” said Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony.
The ambulance responds to all Marion calls, and all PPE is kept on the ambulance. “We are separating our staff; a minimal number of people make patient contact,” said Jackvony. Remaining personnel onsite stay outside, ready to gear up to play either role. Marion takes the temperatures of its firefighters and asks each to fill out a form attesting to good health before they board the fire truck.
Marion has received from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) a shipment of KN95 facemasks but, at press time, was awaiting guidance from MEMA on usage. “We’re told they’re the same (as K95 models)… as soon as we have guidance, we’ll distribute them,” said Jackvony.
The new KN95 masks are on the trucks, the most-recent shipment giving the town enough. Jackvony anticipated rolling those new masks out over the next day or two. Tabor Academy has also donated face shields that it has manufactured on its 3D printers.
Mattapoisett Fire has a “Frontline” team that it has been utilizing and another team as back-up when needed, answered Chief Andrew Murray in an email to The Wanderer. “We are trying to keep the staff separated to prevent the potential spread and cross-contaminate. We have ready go-bags in all of the vehicles. These bags include Tyvek suits, goggles, N95 masks and disinfectants,” he said.
2. Back at the station are you staffing the office and station in dedicated teams that work together exclusively or is the department too small for that luxury?
Marion’s Police Department has made no staffing changes. “The department is too small to be able to do that,” wrote Chief of Police John B. Garcia.
“We are currently running skeleton crews on dedicated teams with others on standby and on call from home,” wrote Murray.
3. Do you know where the COVID-19 cases are located so that should you need to respond to a quarantined location you are prepared in advance or is every call prepared for in the same way?
Both towns’ police and fire departments are advised before answering calls when there is a COVID-19 case.
Marion police established a PSAP (public-safety answering point) to which Health Nurse Kathy Downey relates COVID-19 information so that dispatchers can use a specially crafted script and questionnaire. Information that would normally be protected by HIPAA is now shared for first responders’ and public safety.
“The Board of Health is required to inform us of the address of a person who has had a positive result of the COVID-19 test. When we respond to an address, we have to assume that everyone in the residence is possibly infected,” wrote Garcia.
Mattapoisett Fire knows where the confirmed cases are located. “Even though we have this knowledge, we are treating every call the same and taking every precaution possible to protect our staff and public,” wrote Murray.
“We keep a list here of the addresses where confirmed COVID-19 are, as well as the addresses of suspected COVID-19 cases based on the observations of the EMT’s responding to homes where the patient has COVID-19 like symptoms,” wrote Lyons.
4. How are responders dealing with returning home after a call-out in terms of decontaminating their PPE and clothing, etc.?
In Marion, depending on the nature and circumstances of the call, PPE could range anywhere from the use of disposable gowns to higher levels of protection all the way up to a Tyvek suit.
Tyvek suits are worn in full-protection situations, including the long-term care facility for persons under investigation, if intubating a patient or applying a nebulizer. Tyvek suits are kept on ambulances, and in such cases, a minimal number of responders make such contact. The rest of the staff remains clean.
Jackvony said Marion benefits from a lot of guidance and there is a lot of “one and done” with PPE. But they are also making headway with ultraviolet sterilization. A company based in Somerville is sterilizing masks and returning them. Some cleaning is done in house, but gowns and gloves are thrown away, as well as surgical masks. N95 and KN95 (pending approval) masks can be decontaminated and reused.
Mattapoisett’s current fire station lacks showers, decontamination areas or space to keep social distancing between members. “We clean and disinfect the station twice a day. We have disinfectant and sanitizer spray that we use prior to heading home and when needed,” wrote Murray.
“Clearly, there is some increase in anxiety and certainly concern that COVID-19 may be carried home. It is stressful on our families knowing that the officers and EMTs are responding to homes where COVID-19 may exist,” wrote Lyons.
While there is no universal protocol, Garcia indicates a good shower and laundry will do the job. “We have been informed that 20 minutes in a standard clothes dryer will kill the COVID-19 virus,” he wrote.
5. Does the department have what it needs?
Lyons wrote that Mattapoisett Police has received donations from individuals and companies, including Tyvek PPE, N95 masks and face shields. “The Acushnet Company donated a face shield for each officer, which is great!” she reported, adding that MEMA supplied the department with 100 Tyvek suits as well as 100 masks. “The one item that is back-ordered are the gowns. Unfortunately, that is a universal problem. We have had a great deal of support from our community.”
Garcia wrote that Marion Police has what it needs and has “slowly been building our stockpile of PPE and hand sanitizer.”
Murray wrote that Mattapoisett Fire does not have a large stockpile of supplies, but does have enough for the time being.
6. How is the staff bearing up, I suspect everyone is supporting one another emotionally. Can you speak to that?
“Everyone is concerned about possibly coming into contact with someone who is infected and bringing that home to their family,” wrote Garcia. “Officers are taking great care to disinfect work areas and cruisers. Morale is good but, like everyone else, we are living in uncertain times, and with the constantly changing information it causes stress just like it does with everyone else in the community.”
“We are fortunate in Mattapoisett to have a great group of first responders here, as well as a very supportive community,” wrote Lyons. “It is fair to say that everyone is concerned. As always, they are all working together and watching out for each other.”
“We’re doing OK,” said Jackvony, noting employee-assistance programs and critical stress teams. “This is a lot of stress for fire, EMS, families. They worry if they’re going to be taking it home.” Jackvony said there are round-the-clock programs in place, and that Town Administrator Jay McGrail had just sent more information on PPE. “We have counseling (available). Everybody is doing well,” he said.
“The staff are doing well. We are all in this together and will pull through this together and stronger,” wrote Murray.
7. Are there any confirmed cases among the fire department staff or volunteers – no names, just numbers?
Their answer, as noted above, is no for both departments in both towns.
Mattapoisett did have two personnel, a police officer and an EMT, out for 14 days. “After an ambulance run, the hospital notified us that the patient tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, we are treating every request for the ambulance as a potential COVID-19 patient,” explained Lyons. “It is reassuring knowing that we now have immediate testing available for first responders.”
“(No) doesn’t mean we haven’t had people in quarantine, we have,” said Jackvony. One Marion firefighter was put in quarantine because that person had returned from a trip out of the United States. Another quarantine was due to exposure to the coronavirus at another job. That firefighter was removed from Marion’s roster pending test results.
Guidance allows Jackvony to categorize risk. If there has been recent exposure but no symptoms, that firefighter only continues to work only if the staff is short-handed and, if so, wearing a facemask the whole time. Ideally, that person would be removed from the roster. Marion’s part-time schedule is established on the 15th of the month so the May schedule is out. One member was removed through April 22, the day of his test. “We’re not immune; we’re dealing with it,” said Jackvony.First Responders
By Mick Colageo and Marilou Newell