HOW FIREFIGHTERS CAN STAY
SAFE DURING COVID-19
COVID-19 has brought pain and heartache to millions
of families, including many in our own firefighting
communities. A quick Google search reveals hundreds
of local obituaries of veteran first responders who
have succumbed to the disease—all leaving behind
distraught families to pick up the pieces.
Fortunately, over the past several months, our learning about virus
safety and protection has grown by leaps and bounds. Prominent
epidemiologists, infectious-disease specialists, and public health
experts have quickly educated us about simple and effective steps we
can all take to avoid contamination, including frequent handwashing
and sanitation, social distancing, and mask wearing.
For first responders, of course, the risk of contamination is part of
the job, but that doesn’t mean your department can’t be protected
against COVID-19. We have compiled some recommendations
for COVID safety across three main areas of potential exposure:
personal protective equipment, fire apparatus, and fire stations.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
When it comes to PPE, a whole new level of protection is indicated
compared to firefighters’ normal routines. The right type of
protective clothing can limit the transmission of the infectious
aerosols and liquids that can contaminate skin and clothing. Clothing
and gloves should provide protection against viral penetration
according to NFPA standards and should be laundered daily with
bleach or dry-cleaned.
Respirators effective against COVID-19 should replace common
surgical masks or dust masks. The minimum requirement for facial
protection is an N95 filtering facepiece respirator that meets the
filtration efficiency and other requirements approved by the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Even better
is a NIOSH-approved P100 filtering facepiece, which takes filtration
efficiency to near 100 percent. Double-gloving is recommended
for hand protection, especially in high-risk situations involving
excessive liquids.