Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Fire department responds to outbreak
BELLA VISTA — The Fire Department has seen some changes since the covid-19 outbreak started.
“We run fire and ambulance here. It’s changed more on the ambulance side. The patients that meet certain criteria are screened. The guys are told ahead of time that it’s a possible isolation patient,” said Fire Chief Steve Sims.
Sims said when someone calls 911 and gives certain symptoms, paramedics know to put on their protective gear before entering the residence.
“That’s new for us since this pandemic has come about,” he said.
The protective equipment is isolation gear, he said. It includes some sort of body covering covering the arms and torso, which is sometimes a set of coveralls; an N95 mask; an eye covering; coverings on the boots; a hair covering and gloves.
Sims said a lot of times they try to get the patient to come outside or into the carport if the weather is decent and the patient is able, in order to have better airflow and prevent being in an enclosed area.
“That keeps that transmission down a bit,” he said.
If the patient cannot come outside, the medic will put on the protective gear, go in, assess the patient and arrange for them to be brought to the ambulance. Usually, the medic can move the patient alone, Sims said. If the medic cannot move the patient alone, all crew members will have to put on protective gear.
“We try to limit that potential exposure to one crew member,” he said.
The department has six community paramedics, including Sims, which are specially trained and statelicensed to do more things than regular paramedics can do in the field. They have been doing telehealth visits with patients and their doctors and are able to swab patients for flu, strep and covid-19.
“That’s something that’s really ramped up our response during this pandemic,” he said. “It has really helped keep people out of the doctor’s office.”
He said they can do swabs, blood draws and urinalysis, and if something comes up, the doctor can call in a prescription.
“It’s really helpful for people who might be compromised. We isolate when we make those calls,” he said.
Sims said the department is doing pretty well on protective equipment.
“We’re doing pretty good on our masks. We’re always looking for masks for the general public — for people coming into city offices, to the courts,” he said.
As for how firefighters are responding to the potential risk for covid-19, he said, “It puts a high alert on them and their stress level goes up. My heart rate rises because they’re my guys and they’re at risk. I’m sure they have that high alert every time it comes over the radio. We’re business as usual. If you call us, we’re going to be there.”
He said members of the community have reached out to the department during this time.
“The community has been awesome and great,” he said. “Numerous people have brought homemade masks. Not only for fire but police and fire. We’ve had deliveries of pizza. We’ve had several people donate $400 worth of gift certificates from Allen’s.”
He said one person who donated a gift certificate from Allen’s specifically wanted everyone to have a steak and a baked potato.
“We’ve had several people donate part of their stimulus checks to us,” he said. “I can’t thank them enough. We’ve always had awesome support, but during this time of critical need, it seems like it’s ramped up. People are great here.”