(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel says his department is running low on personal protective gear. It’s a problem emergency responders are facing all over the country and it’s no different in Beaver Dam where Mannel says his staff is making due the best they can.
“About a month ago we saw this on our radar and we tried to put in an order for more,” Mannel says, “our suppliers weren’t even taking orders. So, we’re buying them in stores when we see them. I bought some at Menards the other day.
Mannel is hoping FEMA comes through with PPE’s from the strategic stockpile. In the meantime, they are planning on having to reuse some masks.
“We’ll there supposed to be one and done,” he says, “unless they’re grossly contaminated we’re saving them. Our plan is that each EMT/paramedic will have their own bag and save them until this thing blows by or if we have to reuse them.”
The chief says there are some calls where personal protective gear is needed more than other calls. He detailed a situation called aerosolizing where body fluids are being spewed into the air.
“Those are the ones we’re really worried about,” he says, “those are the ones we would not reuse.”
He says with those patients, paramedics could go through four or five sets of PPE’s and there may be four of five paramedics on that one patient.
Mannel says if anyone has a couple boxes of N95 masks in their garage that they use for painting or dust filtration they are encouraged to drop them off at the fire station. Of course, the station is on lockdown, so you’re asked to ring the doorbell and just walk away.
