Florida first responders prepare for coronavirus while on 911 calls
Orange County first responders train for coronavirus
First responders in Orange County are preparing for a possible outbreak of the coronavirus, undergoing training with new equipment and procedures.
ORLANDO, Fla. - First responders are taking no chances with the coronavirus by collaborating on the best policies and procedures for responding to emergencies.
With growing concerns for the coronavirus, first responders need to know more about what they’re going into when they respond to 911 calls. So, now they are receiving extra training all across the state to know about what to ask and what to wear.
Not every emergency will require a hazmat suit and mask but it is what our responders are trained to use if and when they go into what is known as a severe respiratory event.
“We’re taking a sledgehammer to a flea,” Florida’s chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis said. “We’re over ready to make sure that the response we have is being contained.”
State officials are traveling all over Florida to make sure first responders have what they need and are ready to answer the call in the midst of a viral outbreak. It all starts in the emergency operation centers where 911 operators answer those calls.
“We’ve got an incident in Washington state,” Patronis said. “You’ve got an entire fire station that is shut down because certain 911 protocols weren’t adopted yet.”
He said those firefighters were potentially exposed to the coronavirus at a nursing home and are still being quarantined.
But with that incident has come valuable lessons that are being implemented throughout our state.
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On Wednesday, local leaders reviewed plans to protect their frontline.
“Making sure they have that equipment, making sure that they’re following the protocols for severe respiratory events and, as been stated before, it all starts at the 911 center,” Orlando Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale said.
State officials said it is paramount for first responders to remain healthy and guarded to better serve and protect the people who live and visit Florida.
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