Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Farmington schools hire cleaning company
FARMINGTON — The School District has contracted with an Arkansas-owned infection prevention and control company to test for bacteria and virus levels in its athletic facilities, school buildings and buses, according to a school news release.
Athletic Director Beau Thompson said the company, Eason Freedom of Little Rock, was on campus last week to test athletic facilities after eight athletes and one coach tested positive for covid-19.
In Farmington’s situation, the athletes and coach hadn’t been in the facilities but were exposed to the new coronavirus off campus, according to Thompson. However, the district quickly closed its athletic facilities and suspended all practices out of caution, he said.
“To my knowledge, most were asymptomatic,” Thompson said Sunday, adding he also believes everyone is now healthy.
“We feel it happened off campus and we don’t feel any of it spread within our facilities,” Thompson said. “But we have to do what we have to do to protect our kids.”
Farmington’s facilities opened again Aug. 1 and football practices were allowed to start with restrictions Aug. 3.
Thompson, who also has been named district communications director, said the district used Eason Freedom as a “trial run” for the athletic facilities. The school paid the company $1,100 to test the athletic facilities for a one-time visit.
“We wanted to try it once to see the results, and we were very pleased with it,” Thompson said.
The district is negotiating a one-year contract with Eason Freedom but it hasn’t been finalized, according to Superintendent Jon Laffoon. Monday, Laffoon said he estimates the contract price will be around $8,500. The firm would check virus and bacteria levels periodically and be available if the district has an outbreak.
Eason Freedom was on campus for about three hours July 28 and tested high traffic areas in the basketball arena, entry area, arena floor, all equipment used, such as basketballs, volleyballs and weights, the indoor facility and the old high school gym.
“Those are the facilities we’ve been using through the month of July,” Thompson said.
According to the news release, Mark Elliott of Eason Freedom was able to pinpoint specific areas considered “hot spots” that might look clean but aren’t sanitized to the standard needed for the safety of the school’s students and staff.
On Monday, Elliott said Eason Freedom has the license to use Bac-Track technology testing and tracking for bacteria and virus levels in nursing homes and hospitals. Elliott said the firm is expanding its technology to use it in schools to help prevent infections and manage possible outbreaks.
He said Eason Freedom has been working in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control for many years and tests hospitals and nursing homes across the country. For now, Eason Freedom also hopes to concentrate on school districts in Arkansas. The firm is talking to several other districts about coming in to assist.
The way the technology works, Elliott said, is a swab is taken of a surface and then measured by a meter. The meter shows if there is bacteria and/or virus cells on the swab but doesn’t identify the cells. Elliott said the swabs would have to be sent to a lab for identification.
“We’re the scorecard,” Elliott said. “We tell them whether you need to disinfect more or it validates that you’ve disinfected the area.”
For Farmington, Elliott said he found fewer cells than he might have expected but did find some areas they could focus on. Following the visit, Elliott provided a report on its findings and recommendations.
Thompson said Eason Freedom tested more than 50 different spots and areas. Its recommendations included what cleaners to use, where to clean and how to clean, he said.
This information will be provided to the district’s cleaning staff and coaches.
Thompson said the situation with the athletes has been a trial run for the School District.
Farmington coaches check the temperature of their athletes when they come to practice. The students are required to wear masks walking in and walking out and have to wear masks when they lift weights. Coaches wear masks when they are inside and observe the 6-foot physical distance for safety.
“We’re trying to do everything the Department of Health asks,” Thompson said. “And it will be the same thing when school starts.”
In the news release, Laffoon said, “We are pretty sure, through contact tracing, that the initial infections came from outside our district and facilities. We have not had any athletes identified as spreading the virus from a school-related activity. But, with our new innovative partnership with Eason Freedom, we are adding an extra layer of protection for our students and staff as they return to our schools this fall. Our goal will continue to be to keep our students and staff as safe as possible.”