Phoenix firefighters working extended shifts due to COVID-19 surge
Dec 3, 2020, 4:25 AM | Updated: 9:38 am
(Facebook Photo/Phoenix Fire Department)
PHOENIX – A firefighter in the city of Phoenix reports to duty every third day, working 24 hours on and 48 hours off. But with the new surge in COVID-19 cases, many are expected to stay on the firetruck longer than usual.
“We are critically staffing right now,” Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.
That means firefighters could potentially tack on back-to-back shifts working up 72 hours straight including time for sleeping, eating and other necessities.
It’s because the spread of COVID-19 throughout Arizona is reflected the same within the state’s largest fire department working around the clock during the pandemic.
To date, 235 of the 1,600 sworn firefighters in Phoenix have contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic.
“We have been hit pretty hard so it’s all hands on deck from our department to make sure we continue that service delivery,” McDade said. “In the last three weeks alone, we’ve seen the largest number of folks out of the field at any time.”
In July, the department faced a similar staffing problem with the surge in COVID-19 cases over the summer.
The department has dedicated a crew to keeping fire trucks and ambulances decontaminated during the pandemic. The protocol includes a special cleaning for their ambulances after transporting any patients who may have been positive for coronavirus.
The crew uses electromagnetic cleaners that use a powder coating of aerosol hydrogen peroxide mixture to clean the equipment. Fire stations are also cleaned daily by members.