Upward trend in virus cases confirmed among Phoenix first responders
Jun 11, 2020, 4:35 AM | Updated: 9:28 am
(Facebook Photo/Phoenix Fire Department)
(Facebook Photo/Phoenix Fire Department)
PHOENIX — In addition to an aggressive wildfire season and active protest demonstrations in the metro area, Phoenix first responders are also contending with an increased threat of coronavirus among their ranks.
There are 11 confirmed coronavirus cases within the Phoenix Police Department and 8 within the Phoenix Fire Department, P.J. Dean of the United Phoenix Firefighters Union told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.
While Dean did not describe the figures as catastrophic, he said the upward trend is a reminder that the coronavirus outbreak still looms over the duties of the city’s first responders.
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“We just have to be careful not to get preoccupied with everything else going on to the point where we get complacent and start exposing ourselves to more COVID issues based upon the activity we’re experiencing,” Dean said.
Dean added that levels of Personal Protective Equipment have stabilized and that first responders have refined their practices to ensure the longevity of masks and the sanitation of their vehicles.
“It’s difficult to do with everything going on right now in the city,” Dean said.
“But it’s just one of the examples of why we have to really be diverse in our attention to what we deal with so that we can not only protect ourselves but also be able to respond effectively to protect the public.”
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.
