Scottsdale fire chief says COVID-19 has added new challenges to job
Jan 11, 2021, 4:35 AM
(Facebook Photo)
(Facebook Photo)
PHOENIX – Firefighters inherit a high level of risk on the job, but with additional challenges brought forth by the coronavirus pandemic, one prominent leader in the Valley’s fire service believes a new layer of difficulty has been created for the job.
Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon said he’s most worried about the high level of exposure that firefighters undergo that could result in them bringing it home to their families.
Firefighters can be at high risk for contracting coronavirus because they breathe in pollutants in smoke almost daily, which can make them more susceptible to serious side effects from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He also noted that the pandemic has had a mental toll on firefighters when they have to tell families they are unable to visit loved ones in the hospital who are be sick or injured.
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“This pandemic has really put a spotlight on just all of the day-to-day impacts, whether it be just the physicality of the job, the mental and psychological impacts and then to add this pandemic where there’s so much we can’t do,” Shannon told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday.
First responders like firefighters and paramedics are often the first to come in contact with coronavirus patients when responding to 911 calls.
If hospital care is requested or needed, emergency medical service providers are now faced with the task of transporting a patient to a hospital that is more than likely at capacity.
When it comes to getting patients care, it’s more common for hospitals to go on diversion with the rise in COVID-19 patients. The practice, which is when hospitals are closed to emergency transports and hospital transfers in an effort to work through a backlog of patients, is is common during the flu season.
“Our folks are really great about making contact with those emergency rooms well before they actually do the transport, so if they have to divert, they have good information about the ability of those receiving facilities to take the patient,” Shannon said.
Whether diversion is in place or not, paramedics and firefighters remain with the patient at all times until they are in hospital care.
Shannon believes that will increase in the coming days while coronavirus case numbers in Arizona continue to surge.
“We have many examples of patients waiting in hallways who are very very sick,” Shannon said. “I fear that is probably going to get worse in the next few days.”
While numbers continue to surge across the state, over 70 of the 300 firefighters in Scottsdale have tested positive for the virus, four of which have experienced very serious symptoms.
Firefighters are prioritized for the vaccine. Shannon has received both doses of his COVID-19 shot and hopes his actions will inspire his members to follow his lead.
To date, Shannon said about half of his department has signed up for the COVID-19 vaccination.
