Editor’s Note: This article is dedicated to all the emergency responders who were directly or indirectly affected by COVID-19. Specifically, I would like to honor the memory of Laramie County (Wyoming) Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Scottini, who contracted COVID while on a national wildland deployment and later passed away. Our hearts go out to everyone who suffered or continues to struggle from the impacts of COVID-19 and Long-COVID.
How time flies. It’s incredible to think that five years ago this week, the world was entering the COVID-19 pandemic, and America’s first responders faced considerable uncertainty about its long-term impact. However, one thing was certain: First responders across the country would adapt to the ever-changing environment to fulfill their oath of serving our communities.
As 2020 progressed, the fire service encountered many challenges: Should we wear masks? Do we mandate vaccinations? What PPE is necessary on the scene? What are the new protocols for patient care? How do we maintain services if our workforce is depleted? Many of these questions were addressed by leadership on the fly.
Let’s walk through a few of the adjustments that occurred during the first few months of COVID-19 and consider the long-term impacts.
Staffing
The fire service was directly impacted by reduced daily staffing due to illness – and fear of illness – leading many departments to find themselves faced with doing more with less. For many departments, non-sworn members were instructed to work from home. Additionally, many fire departments were assigned to local vaccination clinics, further stretching the workforce. Along with sick leave and added staffing responsibilities, many departments faced a surge in call volume as community members called 911 to deal with virus symptoms, questions, worries – really anything. This especially ramped up when experts advised citizens to isolate, work from home and avoid crowds.
Recruitment and retention
Exacerbating our staffing challenges, COVID-19 scared off some members as well as potential new members, particularly among the volunteer ranks. Many department leaders were forced to become more creative to attract member participation and applications. Career departments found themselves in uncharted territory with recruitment as well. What was once a highly sought-after career for which it seemed like one needed a golden ticket to get a job, the fire service suddenly saw a significantly reduced application pool.
Training
Virtual meetings were rarely used before COVID-19, but the pandemic propelled the fire service into the 21st century. Many organizations continue to use hybrid training models that incorporate virtual training and meeting programs. There are now online classrooms for Firefighter 1 and 2 and other basic training, and EMS has adapted to provide continuing education opportunities for recertification. Furthermore, the fire service continues to expand virtual training to include virtual goggles, digital fire screens and more low-impact, high-output training. Of course, virtual training is both positive and negative – it really depends on the topic. But during the pandemic, we learned that we as a profession could find a balance to maintain our proficiency.
Service delivery and plans
Organizations with pandemic emergency plans discovered that even the best plans required adjustments to navigate the constantly changing environment as the situation evolved. Organizations without plans quickly learned how to develop a pandemic plan. Additionally, many departments recognized the need to create continuity of operations plans as well as staffing plans that coordinated with neighboring agencies to address the shortfall in responders. This was particularly important, as staffing shortages impacted delivery times. In many cases, because of new protocols, PPE and decontamination incidents, response times were doubling or even tripling.
EMS and decon
Many departments adjusted response strategies to limit contamination, from telehealth to quick-response units providing initial patient care contact. Numerous organizations adopted new protocols for EMS delivery, which included wearing masks and PPE when interacting with sick individuals. Organizations limited the number of responders entering homes, and some requested that sick individuals leave their homes and meet responders outside. Furthermore, some agencies treated standard medical calls as hazmat incidents. On the plus side, we can clearly see the impact of COVID-19 in how we sanitize stations and equipment. Common, simple practices that we should have been doing before COVID are now in place.
PTSD and emotional impacts
In addition to the physical impact on our staffing, there was – and still is – an emotional impact on our members. In the early days of the pandemic, fear and uncertainty about the severity of the virus escalated, leading to heightened anxiety and even PTSD in some members. In many cases, departments made increased attempts to offer more robust mental health and resiliency training for its members. And even today, we must manage the emotional impact of those we lost to COVID-19.
Stronger today
“A phoenix rises from the ashes” is certainly one way to describe America’s fire service as we rebound from COVID-19. The fire service responded as it always does, tackling the challenges before us with vigor and determination. Many organizations embraced the advancements that were introduced and reinforced during COVID, and as a result, today, we are stronger, more prepared and more flexible than we were prior to 2020. The long-term effects of embracing technology and enhancing leadership to meet the needs of our first responders will endure for generations. The real question is, are we ready for the next pandemic?
