Chief Searles of Mentor Fire Department provided this video:
It started as a local Mentor project to address changes in non-transport protocols and to take the burden off the Emergency Departments. As I thought more about it, I felt it should be sent to the State and pushed out. The department of public safety division EMS and other state agencies just approved it. Please share as you feel appropriate. It can be used as needed to lessen the coming demands on the ER and EMS system as Covid19 testing begins to reveal the true numbers. Thanks. Stay safe and healthy.
April 14, 2020. DFD Capt. Bob Barnes and Assistant Chief Mike Rice report: The available stock of surgical masks is at a critical low, with only 600 left in supply for the department. The City is expecting a shipment on Friday, but there is no guarantee on the delivery or quantity we will receive. At our current usage rate, we will exhaust our current supply of surgical masks within a week. Even with the expected delivery, current usage could leave us without facemasks within two weeks at the current utilization rate.
Effective immediately, the Dayton Fire Department will be following the CDC’s “Crisis Capacity Strategies” level; all surgical masks are to be reused by the same member per the CDC guidelines
CDC Crisis Capacity Strategies
The facemask should be reused unless soiled, damaged, or hard to breathe through.
Masks grossly contaminated with blood, respiratory or nasal secretions, or other bodily fluids from patients should be discarded.
Do not touch the exterior of the facemask.
Surgical masks should be carefully folded so that the outer surface is held inward and against itself to reduce contact with the outer surface during storage. The folded mask can be stored between uses in a clean sealable paper bag or breathable container.
Wash hands thoroughly following safely doffing and storage of the used mask.
In addition to the above strategies, DFD is stressing their members remember these guidelines:
CDC guidance recommends that, for COVID-19, only essential personnel enter the patient care area
Limit the number of members exposed to the patient to the minimum necessary to treat the patient.
All others should maintain a safe distance, outside and upwind, if possible.
Follow CDC guidance for appropriate level of respirator protection per the chart below.
Due to the shortage of N95 masks, the DFD will also start collecting used N95s to prepare for the possible utilization of Battelle’s Critical Care Decontamination System process. They’ve provided the following procedure as an example:
In support of Governor DeWine’s declared state of emergency (Executive Order 2020-01D) and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services Board will be meeting via videoconference on April 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM. For public viewing of this meeting, please click on this link. If the public wishes to participate in an open forum, please call 614-981-4564.
Fire Fighter and Fire Safety Inspector Training Committee Public Access to Meeting In support of Governor DeWine’s declared state of emergency (Executive Order 2020-01D) and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Fire Committee of the Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services Board will be meeting via videoconference on April 15, 2020 at 2:00 PM. For public viewing of this meeting, please click on the this link. If the public wishes to participate in an open forum, please call 614-981-4564.
The Federal Healthcare Resilience Task Force recently published two documents to support EMS workers responding during COVID-19. Linked below, these documents can also be helpful to responders from other fields:
The Federal Healthcare Resilience Task Force is comprised of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
On Friday, March, 27, 2020 Governor DeWine signed Amended Substitute House Bill 197 (HB 197) which includes many provisions intended to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This Bill includes relief to certificate holders whose certificates expire during the state of emergency declared by the Governor through Executive Order 2020-01D, issued March 9, 2020.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of EMS has recently received inquiries regarding the management of waste following the treatment of a patient with suspected or known COVID-19 infection. The current CDC recommendations state that the management of laundry, food service utensils, and medical waste should also be performed in accordance with routine procedures.
