PHOENIX — First responders are contracting COVID-19 at an “alarming rate” according to a Valley union, that’s voicing it’s concern about first responders’ safety.
In a post on Facebook, United Phoenix Firefighters, the local union representing several Valley departments outlined their concerns, saying their members are responding to more COVID-19 related calls.
“It wasn’t until the re-opening when we started seeing our cases actually skyrocket,” Capt. Rob McDade with Phoenix Fire said.
McDade said since March, 59 out of some 1500 sworn members at the department have tested positive for COVID-19. McDade said 12 of those members are back at work, but 40 others are waiting on results.
“We’re starting to stretch our numbers in our personnel, people working 48 to 72-hour shifts,” McDade said.
Phoenix Fire isn’t the only local agency with positive cases.
Scottsdale Fire Department reports they got their first case back at the end of May. Right now, 14 of their 275 sworn personnel have tested positive. A spokesperson for the department said they’ve been taken off shift and are following CDC guidelines for when they’ll return.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department said five of their firefighters have tested positive, with their first case on June 19. A spokesperson told 12 News three of them have gone back to work.
Mesa Fire Department said they’ve had a total of 10 sworn personnel test positive for the coronavirus, and four of them have fully recovered and are back at work.
Chandler Fire Department said a total of 70 of their firefighters have been tested for the virus and six people received a positive result.
On the law enforcement side, Phoenix Police have also had 120 of their roughly 3600 sworn officers test positive for the virus according to a city spokesperson.
“It’s hard to completely isolate yourself when you’re treating patients, when you’re taking blood pressures, when you’re getting a set of vitals, when you’re putting them into the back of an ambulance,” McDade said.
United Phoenix Firefighters post on social media also detailed many of the COVID-19 related calls their members are responding to are non-emergent.
“So they don’t have any symptoms or very mild symptoms,” McDade said. “So, now our folks show up and they’re in exposure.”
Back in April, a photo circulating on Facebook showed Phoenix firefighters in rain ponchos, a replacement for isolation gowns as the department was struggling to get shipments of PPE delivered.
McDade said the department now has a couple of months supply of PPE but is still finding it difficult to get the gowns to protect their members.
“The gown gives us that extra layer of protection, we just don’t have them,” McDade said. “Across the country, the gowns are at a minimum. That’s why we went and reached out and got rain ponchos because the CDC said in a worst-case scenario that can work. But we’re running through those as well.”
Phoenix Fire is asking the community to make sure their 911 calls are truly emergencies to help limit exposure and keep firefighters helping serve the city.
“If you need 911, call 911. But if you have mild symptoms, try doing telemedicine, call your doctor,” McDade said.
Phoenix Fire Department is the 5th largest fire department in the country, with 60 fire stations serving the city.
McDade said the department manages staffing by moving personnel to different fire stations as needed. But because of COVID-19, have been limiting how often they’re moving members around, while still keeping appropriate staffing.
With positive cases, McDade said the department is doing internal contact tracing.
“If they get sick we look at where they’ve been in the last five shifts, let’s say, we contact all those people,” McDade said.
McDade said Phoenix Fire has been preparing for the event that they have positive cases among employees to make sure calls for service continue to get answered.
“Even with catastrophic numbers we will be able to continue that service delivery,” McDade said. “But it will be a strain on the system and then you start saying, “How long can we sustain a major strain on our system?’”