Ten first responders in White River Township are in quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, this weekend.
Firefighters with the White River Township Fire Department were on a medical run Saturday afternoon where a 60-year-old Johnson County man died. The man was not confirmed to have COVID-19, but displayed respiratory distress and symptoms related to the illness, Chief Jeremy Pell said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we treated it as if it was (COVID-19)," he said.
All 10 first responders who were on the run were sterilized and self-quarantined immediately, Pell said. Five are staying in the department’s former headquarters on Smith Valley Road, and the other five found places to stay away from their families.
The patient who died is being tested by the Johnson County Health Department for COVID-19, and results are expected today, Pell said Monday. If the patient tests negative, the firefighters will no longer be quarantined.
But if the results are positive, the firefighters will have to stay where they are and go through the 14-day incubation period before testing is possible, Pell said. During that time, they would be actively monitored for symptoms and general health.
"We are going to take care of them, and we’re going to make sure that they know their health and safety is our No. 1 concern" Pell said.
"We’re taking care of them when they’re potentially exposed, and then making sure they don’t expose anyone in the community. It’s nothing to be alarmed about."
The firehouse where half of the responders are now was emptied out recently as the department moved to a new location. Within the past couple days, the community has donated items such as beds, linens, clothes and food to help.
"We made sure they are comfortable," Pell said.
Ten firefighters make up about 10% of the entire fire department and about half of a full daily staff, Pell said. Daily operations are continuing as normal, but test results will determine if further action needs to be taken to adjust for their absences, he said.
"It obviously causes strain on the department," Pell said. "Now, the test is going to tell us what it will do in the long run."
With the spread of the coronavirus across the state, the department was already taking precautions when responding to calls, Pell said. The dispatch center asks a number of screening questions when someone calls, which determines the type of protective gear first responders will wear and how many will respond.
"We’re still giving great care to our patients," Pell said. "We’re just making sure that we’re cautious so that we maintain our department. We need our responders."
