Approximately 40% of the 900 first responders in Sebastian County have received the coronavirus vaccine, according to Emergency Manager Kendall Beam, "All of them have been offered the opportunity, either by notification to their fire chiefs or they have been calling me to get the information."
Beam told 40/29 News vaccinations have been underway for about two weeks for police, firefighters and EMS workers throughout the county, "First responders have a very good chance of coming into contact with somebody with COVID-19. You just don't know who has it or not." "If we open the vial and start giving the vaccine, we need to get it to as many people as we can and we want to prioritize our health care workers first because they are the first step in how we're caring for the folks during the pandemic," said Dr. Lee Johnson, ER physician and medical director for Fort Smith EMS.