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More than 50 firefighters at an Alabama fire department are off the job for COVID-related reasons, prompting a change in strategy when it comes to the virus.
“We were experiencing a chain of infection from our employees transmitting it to each other because of the nature of the work, so we were having trouble getting ahead of it,” Deputy Chief Chris Williamson told WBRC-TV.
As of Tuesday, 53 Tuscaloosa firefighters had either tested positive or were quarantined because of possible exposure. That includes Chief Randy Smith, who was quarantining because of possible exposure to COVID-19, according WVUA-TV.
“We had one chain in particular that started at one station with one person spread rapidly," Williamson told WBRC. "And in some cases took out the entire crew from one shift."
In order to make up for the absences, the department is allowing more firefighters to use overtime to fill those shifts. It also extended the quarantine time to 14 days for a member who might have been exposed to the virus.
“My hope is that by increasing the amount of time we put people off and the number of people we’re putting off we’re going to get ahead of this and get control of this,” Williamson told WBRC.
