POLAND — Western Reserve Joint Fire District is on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and has taken special precautions to protect personnel and their families.

“The fire district itself relies on volunteers, many of whom have children or elderly parents at home,” Chief David “Chip” Comstock said. “These volunteers have to be careful in responding to calls so as to not spread the virus at home. We transported one person (recently) with difficulty breathing. My concern is also that the more our crews are exposed, the more likely the virus spreads within the fire district. We could wipe out the entire FD if not careful.”

Among some of the steps the district and Comstock have put in place is changing in-person training temporarily to online training instead. Also, the district is having fewer people check out the equipment and vehicles to ensure they are ready and not accepting visitors at any station, although telephone calls are being accepted by office staff, which has been reduced.

“The fire district is trying to balance fulfilling our obligation to the public with the need to protect the personnel,” Comstock said.

When a call does come in, the first step is to have the dispatcher triage the calls.

“Because of the situation, we can’t respond to every call for assistance, especially when not medically justified,” Comstock said. “This is especially true where the hospitals do not want persons with fevers and coughs to go to hospitals, but are referring them to flu clinics instead. If a person is having a severe problem, such as breathing, EMS will respond and will triage the person at the scene.”

The chief said as far as supplies go, the fire district has a limited supply of masks that are not the respirators that are preferred. He added that gloves and gowns are also very limited and new supplies unlikely are to be available for up to 60 days. He said that fact alone is the reason not to continue with nonessential or elective surgeries.

AMBULANCE

For ambulance service, Poland village and township mainly rely on AMR, but the fire district does have a backup ambulance for transport. In any case, when an EMS call does come in, a severe breathing problem will be transported to the emergency room. The ER, according to Comstock, will treat the conditions, but will not be able to test for the coronavirus. Those who want to go to the hospital will be turned away and sent to a flu clinic or back home to self-quarantine.

When the fire district responds to an EMS call, the crew is required to sterilize before taking another call.

“We attempt to sterilize / decontaminate the vehicle after any suspected illness that may be communicable,” he said. “Personnel should also clean up, which may include showering and changing clothes.”

Comstock added: “I think that there is a real dilemma that exists between protecting your family and performing your duty. As for residents, I do not believe they yet understand how this issue may affect the first responder community and the health care profession. The pandemic has not yet hit, and I think we are more in that stage of waiting anxiety than anything else.

“I think the time will come when people are going to resort to self-help, and by that I mean there may be a delay of ambulances given either the volume of calls and / or the turn-around time to disinfect / decontaminate — in which case the fastest way to the hospital may be to have a family member transport, if they are able to do so.”

Comstock said he’s learned one member is now under 14-day quarantine relating to his full-time job.

“We do not believe there is any exposure to the other station personnel at this time, but this goes to show how a station can be wiped out quickly,” he said.

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