In 2020, a highly contagious virus, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), and changing funding structures radically altered many of the day-to-day operations of fire departments across the United States. In response to COVID-19 and its various impacts, first responders and innovators across the country have stepped up to meet the challenge. These inventive thinkers have been developing new tools and methods for providing care while protecting crews on the front lines of response.

First, we speak with Bill Amador, a retired Fire Chief and current Director for Capture Management at Constellis. Constellis provides integrated security, mission support, and risk management services to corporate, governmental, and non-profit clients. Bill discusses the benefits of UV light technology, and how it can be used by first responders to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19. 

In our second episode, we hear from Chiefs Jerry Wendt and Tyler Off about their respective innovations in firehouse sanitization. Chief Wendt, with Jefferson Fire Department in Wisconsin, used inexpensive, everyday items to devise a solution to disinfect ambulances. With research and testing, Chief Off and South Fork Fire and Rescue in Colorado were able to build a simple and effective decontamination chamber for N95 masks. The specs allowed for easy scalability and replication, helping to preserve PPE for the department at a very low cost. 

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