Firefighters inherit a high level of risk on the job, but with additional challenges brought forth by the coronavirus pandemic, one prominent leader in the Valley’s fire service believes a new layer of difficulty has been created for the job.
Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon said he’s most worried about the high level of exposure that firefighters undergo that could result in them bringing it home to their families. Firefighters can be at high risk for contracting coronavirus because they breathe in pollutants in smoke almost daily, which can make them more susceptible to serious side effects from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also noted that the pandemic has had a mental toll on firefighters when they have to tell families they are unable to visit loved ones in the hospital who are be sick or injured.