Paramedics make vital changes to protect staff

May 31, 2020

Coming out of the coronavirus surge mentality but with precautions in place for the foreseeable future, calls for Emergency Medical Teams have become more complicated, both for first responders and for those who have to decide whether to make that call

“We find that people are more willing to roll the dice,” on an injury to avoid potentially encountering coronavirus at a hospital said Kevin Dyer, lieutenant of the EMS division at the Marion Fire Department. 

People will call for help, but they are more willing to ride out their injury.

Paramedics go into calls wearing personal protective equipment, and assume that everybody they visit is sick.

If a resident is suspected to have the virus, the hospital is notified and volunteers take the patient into an isolated sector of the facility.

Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel said that ambulance service calls did see a decrease at the end of March and first half of April, before the second half of the month returned to normal. 

“I really believe people were afraid to go to the hospital,” Weigel said.  

In Mattapoisett, Police Chief Mary Lyons said the number of calls hasn’t changed since the start of the virus.

“We’re getting pretty much the status quo,” Lyons said.

Staff wear PPE on calls and screen residents for coronavirus symptoms, regardless of the injury.

The ambulances are still fully staffed as well.