Police to use gas masks if exposed to COVID-19
Given a global shortage of N95 respirator masks, Ottawa police will don their force-issued gas masks as protection should a call dictate officers could be exposed to the novel coronavirus, according to the deputy chief.
Ottawa police have continued to monitor what’s happening in countries and specific cities for weeks. The World Health Organization has declared a pandemic and city officials confirmed Ottawa’s first case of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Police say they will be taking instruction from Ottawa Public Health, which is leading the response to the public health issue. Police response will primarily be to help support public health officials. But as an emergency service, officers will also need to continue to provide policing in the city, which could put them into contact with people exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus or with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Deputy Chief Steve Bell said the Ottawa Police Service has had pandemic plans for years and with every major outbreak, whether SARS or H1N1, that plan has been modified.
In recent weeks, it’s been updated with details on how best to protect officers and the public from COVID -19. That plan also includes how to deal with the Ottawa police as a workplace, should an employee become sick.
Police will need personal protective equipment in the form of masks, eyeglasses and gloves.
“As this is a pandemic that’s grown around the world, what we’ve seen is a compromised stockpile of N95 masks. The demand for them is outstripping the supply that exists,” Bell said.
“We have another method of providing that same level of protection and that’s through our gas masks.”
Gas masks offer police protection from particulates and aerosols and are typically worn during mass demonstrations or riots.
Police did struggle with the decision, Bell said. Ottawa police are one of the only services that have issued gas masks to nearly all uniformed officers. The optics of front-line police routinely wearing them to calls might not be received well by the public.
“We’re really conscious of the image that that presents in our community. We’re conscious that that’ll create some concern within our community.”
Deciding when to wear a mask will be done on a case-by-case basis, with officers putting the masks on when there could be exposure to COVID-19 through a call for service. Police are working to determine when exactly an officer’s presence is required at a medical call.
A “reusable source of protective equipment that meets and exceeds” the needs to deal with the virus means that Ottawa paramedics, firefighters and front-line hospital workers have more access to the N95 masks.
“We thought it would be irresponsible if we took away from that stockpile of masks when we have another alternative.”
Police also have reserves of nitrile gloves, sanitizing wash and eye protection. Police do have some N95 masks that they can use internally for employees who come in contact with the public but do not have a gas mask, including those working the front desk or in evidence control.
Police are also finalizing a decontamination plan that would see these gas masks, cruisers, the cellblock and workstations all cleaned if any exposure occurs.
It would be irresponsible if we took away from that stockpile of masks.