Coronavirus in Florida: How are local first responders preparing?

With the spread of COVID-19 becoming an inevitability, Southwest Florida first responders are displaying a unified message: They’re ready.

Along with regularly receiving updates from the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, a local task force of EMS and firefighters in Lee and Collier counties has been created to give each department access to the same information and implementing uniform protocols on responding to the disease and limiting exposure.

“The patients’ presentations and risks to public safety are all the same,” said North Collier Fire District Assistant Chief Jorge Aguilera. “There is a value of having a common approach regardless of where you are in the county or which agency you work for.”

COVID-19, the disease caused by a novel coronavirus, has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,400, according to the most recent data from the World Health Organization.

More:Elderly man in Panhandle is fifth Florida person to test positive for coronavirus

While the mortality rate hovers just about 3%, the numbers are skewed by substantially higher rates for the elderly.  Figures indicate the death rate for men is higher than for women, 2.8% to 1.7%.

Stateside, the number of positive tests for COVID-19 has reached triple digits. As of Thursday, there were five confirmed cases in Manatee, Sarasota and Santa Rosa Counties.

Marco Island Fire-Rescue Chief Mike Murphy said the protocols are similar to those developed when departments had to prepare other infectious diseases, such as Ebola, H1N1 and Swine Flu.

“The only thing perhaps out there that’s anything different is the fact that there isn’t a vaccine yet,” Murphy said. “From a perspective of exposure, our personnel isn’t in the high-risk category, and they are trained to take the appropriate precautions.”

More on the coronavirus:DeSantis announces no new cases, requests $25M in funding

Aguilera, who is a key player in the task force, agreed. He added that the planning for COVID-19 has been a little more detailed because no one is necessarily immune and there could more people that become sick than in the cases with other infectious diseases.

“It’s a more detailed plan because with call volume for medical responses, if health care providers are inundated, that affects the backlog part of it,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure there is a safe and comprehensive plan if there is a significant increase in 911 calls.”

How might the coronavirus affect service?

Included in the protocols developed is an enhanced screening process when medical assistance is requested.

“The screening process asks about their symptoms and if they have traveled in the past 14 days,” Collier County EMS Chief Tabatha Butcher said.

The response could then trigger first responders to be on alert of a potential case, prompting a limitation on the number who enter the premises. The phone screening tool has previously been utilized and recognized nationally, Aguilera said.

“If there is an emergency or someone is in a dire need, we’re not going to stop anyone from going in,” Butcher said. “But let’s meet at the scene on whether we all need to go in.”

More:Southwest Florida hospitals say they are prepared to treat coronavirus

Aguilera said the plan was to have one person enter at a time to perform an evaluation. Guidelines also suggest keeping 6-foot social distancing to limit contact.

Butcher said that if there is a patient that may be exposed, EMS personnel have been told to put a mask on patients to protect against any respiratory droplets. Ambulances also are equipped with equipment that can isolate patients during transport, she said.

In developing a transportation protocol, Butcher said hospitals have also been looped in to limit the number of staff exposed.

The state's recently released guidelines on not transporting patients due to limitations will also become a subject of discussion.

 “A lot of people coming down are not acutely ill,” Aguilera said. “The best treatment is for them to self-isolate themselves rather than go to the hospital and get exposed to more sick people.”

More:Florida nursing homes on high alert for novel coronavirus for vulnerable residents

Staffing and supplies

Staffing and the level of supplies have also been major topics of discussion by the task force.

"We’re trying to stock up on masks and goggles," Butcher said. "The state department of health has a survey that asks, 'How are you on the supplies?"

Murphy said there is a supply chain for emergency services in addition to the county department of health and the state having caches.

Tracking the coronavirus:A look at existing cases

Are you prepared?:What to stock up for coronavirus

While the recent run on emergency supplies by the public hasn't affected local departments from stocking up, down the line, it could.

"Somewhere down that supply chain line, it could be linked," Aguilera said.

There is also the potential for staffing challenges if first responders become ill or are forced to be quarantined like in the case of firefighters in Kirkland, Washington, which saw a sizable outbreak of COVID-19 after making contact with infected patients at a nursing home.

While overtime remains a possibility, departments have become accustomed to filling in for one another during emergencies.

"We are all part of a statewide mutual aid agreement," Murphy said. "We do this all the time. We cover stations in the case of a major incident. Hurricane Michael was a perfect example."

Hurricane Michael struck Florida's Panhandle the hardest when it made landfall as a Category 5 in 2018, with agencies across the state responding.

During previous infectious disease scares, Butcher said county housing had already been identified if there was a need to self-isolate quarantine. 

If departments had to fend for themselves, Aguilera conceded that they might struggle to handle what's ahead. But with the collective strength and preparation made possible by joining forces, Southwest Florida first responders are ready for the challenge.

“I’m very comfortable that we will not be scrambling,” Aguilera said. “We will be challenged but we’re better equipped to handle and maneuver now.”

Connect with reporter Devan Patel: @DevanJPatel (Twitter) or devan.patel@naplesnews.com