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Answering the call in a pandemic

Area EMS, fire departments deal with covid

By Holly Neumann


Area emergency medical services and fire departments continue to answer the call of duty in spite of COVID-19.

“Waupaca Comm Center does an excellent job informing us of any information relating to covid on all calls,” said Carrie Snyder, assistant ambulance chief for the Iola Rural Fire and Ambulance Department. “This has been a huge asset when gathering the necessary information that will prevent any contact or transmission.”

EMTs now need more than the normal personal protective equipment when responding to calls. This includes surgical masks, N95 masks, face shields, goggles, gowns and gloves.

“With the additional PPE, it can make doing procedures more cumbersome,” said Andrew Werth, service director for the Manawa Rural Ambulance Department.

Along with the additional steps to get ready for a call, more time is also needed for decontamination following a call as well.

“Cleaning the rig and equipment takes longer,” Werth said. “We use more intense methods now.”

Rob Rosenau, chief of the Manawa Rural Fire Department, said the biggest change is the way his department responds to calls and how it holds meetings and trainings.

“When we assist the EMS crew, we require our members to have on extra PPE,” he said. “We, along with other county departments, have put in place that we wear face coverings when we are not wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus.”

This includes riding in fire trucks.

“We did this for a number of different reasons,” Rosenau said. “We are unable to get the distance from each other when riding in the truck and we want to make sure that we are able to respond to our residents when the time comes.”

New safety protocols

Members are unable to respond to a call if someone in their family is being tested for COVID-19.

“You do not show up until you have the negative result back or the 14 days have passed,” Rosenau said. “This is to protect our members so that we all do not get it at once and cannot respond.”

Even with all the safety precautions in place, covid has caused some staffing issues.

“Some volunteers have had to take less time due to their family obligations and due to quarantining themselves,” Snyder said.

“We had some hurdles with staffing, as many were worried about bringing covid to their full-time employer or home to their family,” Werth said. “We also have had a couple members needing to quarantine also.”

Most departments have felt a financial impact as well.

“Supply costs affect the budget and continue to,” Werth said. “Gloves are used on every single call. The price has doubled and is expected to again.”

“We missed out on our two fundraisers in 2020,” Snyder said.

There have been some lessons learned along the way, according to Rosenau.

“Our goal is always to improve on safety,” he said. “There is a lot that can be learned from an epidemic. Things that challenge us prepare us for the future.”

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