The International Association of Fire Fighters has released a tracking tool that shows which fire departments have reported exposure to COVID-19 or have had employees test positive with the virus.
Firefighters respond to patients who could be infected with coronavirus every day.
“The same way we do going into a fire while people are running out of it, we are running into people’s homes who may have contracted coronavirus,” said Tom Malone, president of the Memphis Fire Fighters Association.
Malone reports 12 Memphis firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
Nearly 200 others have had to be quarantined or isolated after being exposed to family, friends or other firefighters who had the virus. Malone said no firefighters tested positive after patient contact.
According to Malone, the Department is still fully staffed.