COVID-19 changes everything for EMTS, first responders
Not that long ago, if you called 911 for medical assistance, a crew of first responders would rush into your home.
But as COVID-19 ravages the United States infecting patients and healthcare professionals, EMTs (emergency medical technicians) have adopted new strategies to remain safe and conserve PPE (personal protective equipment).
“Only one person is doing everything now,” said Capt. Leonel Reyes, EMS field safety supervisor with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR).
Reyes, 46, said a crew still shows up in a truck, but only one first responder goes into the home to assess whether the call is a potential COVID-19 case.
“If it is, the crew in the truck suits up before entering the home,” he said. “You don’t see any uniforms because everything is covered up.”
“In the beginning, we were going through an incredible amount of PPE, but now we’re trying not to burn through supplies,” said Capt. Archie Vasquez, 47, with the City of Miami Fire Rescue.
Enough supplies
Unlike other parts of the country that are feeling the strains of insufficient PPE supplies, Miami-Dade seems to be in good shape, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the City of Miami Fire Rescue, and South Florida’s Coast Guard units. Some of the stockpiles are a result of early planning since COVID-19 first came on the international scene, and some of the gear is left over from the Super Bowl, held in early February.
“We have enough equipment because we had the Super Bowl coming so we prepared for a big influx of people coming into the city,” said Capt. Ignatius Carroll with the City of Miami Fire Rescue. “During the planning phase for Super Bowl — September to December — we started learning about the coronavirus and [started thinking], would we be ready for an outbreak with that amount of people?” he said.
For Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, their supply chain still isn’t dealing with any hurdles. “If we ask for supplies, they send it,” said Reyes, adding that he hasn’t heard about any shortages.
Different approach
COVID-19 is unlike other crises that EMTs have dealt with before.
“This one is more fierce; it’s spreading faster,” said Reyes, who has been with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for more than 25 years and worked at Miami International Airport during the Ebola outbreak.
“The closest thing to this — which I went through a couple of years ago — was the opioid epidemic,” said Vasquez. “But this affects anybody and everybody. It’s been challenging on a personal, community, and professional level,” he added.
Because COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu, EMTs have significantly changed their rescue approach.
For starters, first responders are now screening calls to check for symptoms related to COVID-19. “If you called and said you were having trouble breathing, we’d ask you, ‘Is it because you traveled recently or could it be from something else?’” said Carroll.
In addition to initially only exposing one EMT when out on a call, they also immediately provide the patient with a mask, too. “We’re protecting ourselves from the public and protecting the public from us as well,” said Reyes.
If a patient is a potential COVID-19 case and the person needs to be hospitalized, the first responders call up the hospital ahead of time to give them a chance to prepare an isolation room for the patient. Once the patient has been dropped off, a decontamination truck pulls into the hospital parking area and sterilizes the truck that was just used.
Meanwhile, the first responders shower at the hospital and put on fresh uniforms for their next call.
“That has been our life for the last couple of weeks,” said Vazquez. And when they’re not on a call, they’re social distancing from each other, too, which goes against the traditions of firehouses, Vasquez added. “Normally, we’re like a big family and eat together, but then we started eating at separate tables, and now we even eat at different times.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "COVID-19 changes everything for EMTS, first responders."