The men and women of Kirkland Fire Department were the nation’s first first responders to a coronavirus outbreak. Life Care Center of Kirkland was like a house on fire in February and March.
"We didn't know what we didn't know, and all the theory of how we would respond kind of had to go out the window because it was on our doorstep," firefighter Evan Hurley told Q13 News, reflecting on that uncertain time nearly a year later. The first COVID-19 case in the country was identified in January, a Snohomish County man who had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, the original epicenter of the virus. Because of strict testing requirements, only known contacts and travelers from hotspot areas could be tested at the time.