As the Madison Fire Department worked quickly to put out an apartment fire Saturday afternoon, precautions against fighting the coronavirus became tougher to follow.
“When we get in a big fire fight like this, the social distancing rules kind of go out the window,” Chief Steven Davis said. “The [personal protective equipment], the paper, filter masks that we see them wear on calls and things kind of goes out the window because they have a big job to do.”
Firefighters wear breathing masks that supply their own air, but keeping a distance isn’t always possible when working together. “They get in very tight quarters and it is a challenge. So, it’s something the department has to take into account now in the coming days,” Davis said. “If we start to see a spike in signs and symptoms of COVID, we might have an incident to relate it back to.”