GREENFIELD — Firefighters with the Greenfield Fire Department have begun operating with new cleaning procedures to ensure the safety of their crews and the community as they respond to area emergencies.
When responding to a call, dispatchers now ask questions of the location to possibly advise incoming fire crews of a coronavirus (COVID-19) contamination risk. Firefighters also regularly clean their medical response bags, which are typically set down on the ground or near the public during an emergency.
“When we go into a place, especially with COVID-19, it’s going to be droplets on the floor,” said Capt. Carlos Vega of the infection risk that could be anywhere at a scene.
Firefighters returning from a call also dip their boots in a bleach solution before washing them off and drying them, at which time they also switch to clean footing and clothes to reduce the risk of bringing germs back into the station, and then possibly back out into the public.
“If you come out here for any reason, you have to wash your hands before you come back inside,” Vega said.
Washing hands is commonplace, with firefighters turning to skin lotion to protect their skin from drying after so much washing and drying. While at the station, they regularly sanitize all surfaces, including the floor. The fire engine itself is regularly cleaned and aired out, as well.
“We’re trying to minimize the exposure and be aware of what we’re doing, what we’re touching, making sure we don’t spread it between us and when we go out in public,” Vega said.
One initiative while on duty has been to eliminate eating out, and to serve meals at the department that are not common sharing foods, such as pizza. Instead, they have individual portions and make sure to use the hot settings on their dishwasher to cleanse all utensils and dishes.
Keeping clean both in the station and out in the public, along with remaining cautious, is the best strategy the firefighters have in preventing infection. Vega said sometimes an infection risk might not even be with the people making an emergency call, but with bystanders.
“For us, we’re handling it like everybody can have it,” he explained.
To that end, the fire department has also limited who can enter the building, as they use their isolation time to clean, research and spread information online.
“We’re trying to keep them as informed as possible,” Vega said. “People follow social media more than they do anything else, so we’re keeping proactive and keeping the public informed.”
