Printer Friendly Version - Two Firefighters in Quarantine after COVID-19 Exposure

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, area residents are more likely to see first responders wearing personal protective gear, such as the mask and full-coverage suit worn by this Guilford firefighter, when emergency personnel respond to calls. Photo courtesy of the Guilford Fire Department

Two Guilford firefighters have been placed in quarantine due to a potential exposure to the coronavirus, Guilford Fire Chief Charles Herrschaft told the Courier/Zip06.com via email, though he said they are showing no symptoms of the disease and were expected to be out of quarantine soon.

As the town continues to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, these sorts of scares are something Guilford’s emergency personnel will deal with while still taking all available precautions to protect themselves and the people they serve, according to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Shove.

“We’ve definitely transported positive or confirmed cases,” Shove said. “More than one.”

Both Shove and Deputy Police Chief Warren Hyatt of the Guilford Police Department told the Courier/Zip06.com that first responders are taking all possible precautions to protect themselves and residents from exposure while providing vital, life-saving services to the community.

Hyatt declined to say whether any Guilford police officers had been quarantined due to potential coronavirus exposures.

First Selectman Matt Hoey later confirmed that four Guilford police officers who accompanied the two quarantined EMTs on two calls to one residence were also advised to go under home quarantine by Guilford Health Director Dennis Johnson. On those two calls, responders were exposed to an asymptomatic individual who later tested positive for coronavirus.

Going forward, residents can expect to see responders using personal protective equipment (PPE), which include masks, gloves, and sometimes protective bodysuits. Both Shove and Hyatt said residents should not be alarmed by the sight of police officers or EMTs wearing this gear, which is simply meant to ensure the safety of everyone involved during a crisis like this.

Police and ambulance dispatch are also likely to ask “a few more pointed questions” about potential health concerns or exposures when taking calls, according to Shove, and Hyatt said police officers will be attempting to maintain safety by asking residents to meet them outside when possible, and conduct routine business over the phone.

“Obviously social distancing is the main thing,” Hyatt said. “Just to let people know, you may see things a little differently. We may ask you to call us on the phone...as opposed to an officer directly coming out there if it’s a minor situation we can handle that way.”

Shove said assessments by other first responders would also be done in a proper social distancing manner when possible. The Fire Department also put out a step-by-step list on its website and social media of procedures during these interactions with emergency personnel, which Shove said should help people know what to expect and not be afraid.

There are and will be situations when first responders must be in close quarters or making contact with members of the public, of course. Hyatt said the highest priority of the department continues to be safety, both for officers and the public. He said police continued to follow guidelines of health officials, and worked closely with the Fire Department to ensure all the best health practices were implemented.

“For most of the calls, we’re taking the lead for the Fire Department and doing the same things that they are,” said Hyatt.

For more urgent or emergency calls, Hyatt said the department had procedures in place, but also had to deal with things on a “case by case basis.”

The records office in the Police Department building continues to be staffed, according to Hyatt, and people can still access the lobby, but that might change based on the “fluid” situation of the pandemic.

Hyatt also encouraged anyone who needed access to police records to call the department when possible, and they would likely be able to provide those documents via email. He also said anyone who is sick and needs police services should call and wait outside the building to protect the health of officers.

One of the big issues that first responders and front-line health care workers around the country are dealing with is a shortage of PPE equipment that protects against transmission of the virus. Shove said Guilford has enough stock to last around three weeks.

Some of that stockpile comes in the form of expired masks provided by the state, which Shove said provide “lesser protection,” but have also been tested by the CDC and are still “more than adequate” in guarding against coronavirus transmission in most cases.

Guilford is working in “creative ways” to get access to more equipment, knowing that the pandemic will likely get worse before it gets better, according to Shove.

Guilford schools donated several cases of masks and gloves to the department, Shove said. Guilford is also looking to purchase inventories from more local, as well as working with other nearby towns or departments for joint purchases, because smaller, individual orders are often “minimiz[ed],” or deprioritized in favor of the large bulk orders, according to Shove.

But Shove also said that Guilford has to count on supply chains and production amping up, if the crisis continues for a significantly longer period of time.

We’re “hoping that if we make it to three to four weeks that production will be streamlined again, and the states will get some level of masks out to first responders, and then we’ll have newer...masks from the state,” Shove said. “I feel like we’re better off than most...We’re doing okay.”