With talk of COVID-19 vaccines being made available as soon as this month, major firefighter organizations like The International Association of Fire Fighters and the National Volunteer Fire Council are asking to be among the first to receive it.
“I would tell the leaders, the politicians that are deciding, the community leaders, the health department take care of the people that care of your people we are the ones that are out there,” a firefighter and paramedic with the Ocean Pines Fire Department, said.
This week the organizations sent letters to state leaders and governors urging them to give firefighters, paramedics and EMT’s priority access.
Those we spoke with at the Salisbury Fire Department agree that getting the early access to the vaccine could help because EMT’s are usually the first link in the COVID-19 response spending 10 to 15 minutes at a time with COVID positive patients as they rush them to the hospital.