When an EMT fell ill with the coronavirus in Upper Merion Township, the department saw its ranks suddenly dwindle. In all, 22 emergency personnel, including the fire chief, were quarantined for two weeks.
“It weighs on your mind at night,” said Public Safety Director Thomas Nolan, who doubles as the police chief in this Montgomery County community. “I can’t even see the enemy on this one to worry about my people. I worry about it constantly.”
Health officials in the county have since eased the rules concerning who must quarantine after interacting with someone who tests positive for the coronavirus — there were simply too many cases for it to be effective — but the experience gave Nolan a troubling glimpse into what the near future may hold for the roughly 1,300 emergency medical service agencies across the state.