COVID-19: Ways to decontaminate and disinfect

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 dominates all aspects of life nowadays. For example, in firefighting, fire departments follow certain procedures that revolve around two things - decontamination and disinfection. Volunteer Firefighter Alliance discusses more of these things below.

Decontamination and disinfection

Volunteer Firefighter Alliance believes that decontamination is at the center of any infection control procedure. This is an important step in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The organization advises against transporting patients, regardless of whether they have the virus, on fire apparatuses unless approved. With the help of their medical officer, fire chiefs should establish a schedule for cleaning and disinfecting and develop protocols in case somebody with COVID-19 seek medical treatment in their station. Moreover, an appropriate disinfectant must be used for cleaning.

Quarantine versus Isolation

Volunteer Firefighter Alliance notes the importance of differentiating quarantine and isolation - two terms that are now part of the everyday lexicon. First, quarantine refers to separating an individual who may have been exposed to the virus from those who are not. Quarantined persons are not ill but are observed in case they develop symptoms. On the other hand, isolation refers to separating those that are confirmed with COVID-19. They may be isolated either at home or at the hospital, depending on the severity of their condition.

Personal versus professional exposures

If a firefighter is quarantined at home due to exposure in their personal capacity, their fire chiefs should develop policies that will immediately inform the fire department. Likewise, fire chiefs should research the insurance coverage of firefighters who contracted COVID-19 due to work-related exposure.

Volunteer Firefighter Alliance is a national organization which aims to assist local Volunteer Fire Departments across the nation through its four programs: Firefighter Recruitment, Fire Prevention, Crisis Support Helpline, and National Firefighter Appreciation Campaign. For more related reading, visit this page.