Ambulance and fire services are increasing regular safety practices to prevent the possibility of COVID-19 transmission. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Scrutiny on safety

Battlefords emergency services increasing safety measures during COVID-19

Mar 27, 2020 | 5:39 PM

Wearing protective gear to reduce risk toward emergency services members and the public is part of the job, however, the lengths to which members at the fire department and ambulance services has increased dramatically because of COVID-19

“People might see us looking a little bit different, because we’re wearing masks and gowns,” Jessica Stephens, operations manager for WPD Ambulance said. “Whereas before, we didn’t always wear those on calls.”

Dispatchers have been working to screen callers so that members can have the appropriate protective gear on before interacting with them on site. Having to suit up increases the response time, so that line of communication has become critical for ambulance service members to not only do their job, but help protect themselves and the public.

“So we don’t catch the virus and we don’t transmit it accidentally,” Stephens said.

Similar measures of protective gear and dispatch are being used by the fire department in North Battleford, according to Fire Chief Lindsay Holm, where they’ve stopped focusing on fire prevention and more on safety measures and timely response.

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“That’s simply to limit the possibility of transmission of a virus from the community into the fire station,” he said.

That’s been an adjustment for the department, along with delivering essential equipment outside the station, maintaining social distance protocols and carrying those practices home, but Holm said the operational side is “relatively status quo.”

“Because we’re so used to protecting ourselves at all times, it’s not going to be a major change for us,” he said.

The same can’t be said for WPD. Hospital arrivals are handled with some similar care to on-site work and access to ambulances for family members is almost entirely unavailable.

“We’re not taking as many family members, unless it’s a child or someone who needs to come with us,” Stephens said. “We’re reducing that exposure as well, because we don’t want to take people unnecessarily to the hospital.”

Losing workers to quarantine or hospitalization is something that emergency services are having to take steps to deal with as the number of cases rises, such as in the town of Rosthern, where the medical clinic closed earlier this week after a doctor tested positive for COVID-19. Stephens said they have extra staff in the Battlefords if numbers become an issue and added members are taking steps of their own.

“Right now, all of our employees have taken that on themselves to make sure someone watches their child,” he said.

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports