New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Firefighters in Valley see vaccine delay
Volunteer firefighters in the Valley just became eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines, but it came late compared to their counterparts in other towns.
The chiefs in Derby, Ansonia and Seymour spoke out in late February on not being able to get their members inoculations, while other departments got second doses, because of the distinction between medical and non
medical first responders.
According to the state’s phase 1a eligibility list some first responders qualified in the first wave if they are “actively responding to medical 911 calls or involved in care for COVID or suspected COVID cases.”
Derby Fire Chief David Lenart said because most of his volunteer department aren’t EMS or provide any patient care, they couldn’t get on the eligibility list.
So they were patiently waiting for their eligibility — anticipating they would be next — when the governor announced vaccine rollout would be based on age.
“I think it was kind of an oversight that never got rectified,” Lenart said.
Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said they
don’t know whether other towns were reading between the lines with who was eligible, but the Naugatuck Valley Health District strictly followed the guidance from the state Department of Public Health.
Drugonis said the health district couldn’t get answers and the towns couldn’t get answers, until they involved their state representatives.
“The Valley was forgotten once again,” she said.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R-Seymour, whose district also includes Derby and Beacon Falls, contacted the governor’s office and DPH to get it addressed.
“It’s not for a lot of pay that they put their lives on the line every day,” she said. “I did what I had to do for my towns.”
The Valley departments have since been able to upload their rosters to the federal Vaccine Administration Management System
for appointments.
On the state’s website, the distinction of “medical first responders” still exists in the eligibility phase descriptions.
Asked during Lamont’s press briefing Thursday why police and firefighters have been getting mixed signals, Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said he hadn’t heard about that happening.
“We’ve been clear that first responders who are potentially responding to calls where they can be in contact with someone who could potentially have COVID-19 were eligible in phase 1a and I believe the vast majority of them have already been vaccinated,” he said.
The DPH did not respond to inquiries from Hearst Connecticut Media.
Fire Chief Bob Duval, president of the Connecticut Firefighters Association, said he hasn’t heard from chiefs about problems in
eligibility, but it could happen because towns were left to decide how to interpret the language.
“It was a gray area and I decided for my department since I’m a small department, that since everyone goes to medical calls, everyone is eligible in the first phase,” he said.
Duval said his impression on the eligibility was that if a firefighter is helping in any way on a medical call — moving a patient or otherwise supporting care — they qualified to be vaccinated.
Lenart said it’s been critical for his team, and other volunteer departments to get the dose because firefighters are still exposed through their daily responsibilities.
“People who are sick with COVID, they still have gas leaks, fire alarms go off and it puts us at risk when we respond to those calls,” he said.
The difficulty in being a volunteer organization is if his members don’t feel protected, then they’re not encouraged to come, nor are they obligated the way career firefighters are, he said.
“None of my guys have told me they’re not coming, but they were wondering why don’t we have it,” Lenart said.
The Valley departments became eligible along with all Connecticut residents 55 and older, so now Lenart’s members are having difficulty getting appointments. The Derby department has between 60 and 70 members left to get vaccinated, he said.
The newly eligible group includes about 600,000 people in the state.
Drugonis said it’s been similar for Seymour police and fire, but the Naugatuck Valley Health District has been helping the departments with appointments when they come up.