Five firefighters with Puget Sound Fire are now in quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19.
Captain Joe Root says none of the firefighters are showing symptoms and that this is being done out of an abundance of caution.
“All five are doing fine as of (Saturday) night,” said Root. “None of them are symptomatic. We had planned for this so they’re being supported at home.”
Moving forward, the agency will handle all calls it’s dispatched to as if the patient has the virus.
"All EMS calls we respond to, one member of the crew, unless it’s an emergent issue, will put on the entire PPE (personal protective equipment) ensemble and go in and assess the patient for those risk factors before the rest of the crew proceeds," said Root. "Just because the crew shows up in PPE does not mean the patient has COVID 19. We’re trying to be as proactive as we can to protect not only the community but ourselves."