As the number of coronavirus cases rises, police and fire departments can become overwhelmed as more first responders are taken out of commission.
As the coronavirus outbreak ravaged a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash, it also hit the local fire department hard.
While other Americans work from home, police officers, firefighters and paramedics must continue to respond to 911 calls, including those involving suspected coronavirus patients. Lifesaving measures like CPR require direct contact with patients and their bodily fluids. At the same time, with normal routines upended and people jostling for food at supermarkets, both agencies have assigned more officers to street patrol, including hundreds of LAPD detectives who normally investigate crimes.
Daniel Linskey, who was chief of the Boston Police Department during the 2013 marathon bombing, said police and fire agencies need to plan for worst-case scenarios -- for example, by finding hotels to host first responders under quarantine. Last Wednesday, Hom led a team of officers stuffing plastic bags with goggles, N-95 masks and gloves to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
“If they don’t have a mask, they’re not going to rush in there, and that could be life or death for someone,” Linskey said.
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