CO Fire Chiefs Criticize State's COVID-19 Vaccine Plan

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Colorado fire chiefs are criticizing state officials for their COVID-19 vaccine plan, which doesn't put firefighters and other first responders in the top priority tier.

The three-phase plan, which was released Wednesday, puts hospital workers, as well as long-term care facility staffers and residents, at the 1a priority level for the vaccine, echoing recommendations recently handed down by the Centers for Disease Control's advisory panel, KDVR-TV reports. Firefighters, EMS workers, police officers and other first responders are in the state's 1b tier.

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“It’s not so much that we want to be put ahead of other health care professionals, but just to be in the same tier as them,” West Metro Fire Chief Don  Lombardi, who also is a member of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs organization, told KDVR.

The state fire chiefs group sent a letter critical of the plan to Gov. Jared Polis. Even though first responders are on the first level of the plan, they could receive the vaccine weeks or even months after the 1a tier. That worries Lombardi, who says firefighters and paramedics have contact and are exposed to potentially infected patients before hospital workers in many workers.

“We’re going into situations that are not quite controlled as they are in the hospital,” he told KDVR. “We’re just asking that we be put in the same tier as these critical health care professionals, and be moved from 1B to 1A.”

“We’re not trying to supplant anyone else and what their needs are,” he added. “We just know what our needs are to be effectively responding to these types of calls and other types of calls. We feel that we should be at that same level.”

The International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the National Volunteer Fire Council have been lobbying governors and state health officials around the country to give first responders top priority for the vaccine.

"A COVID-19 vaccine is one of the best ways to protect fire and EMS personnel from this pandemic," the groups said in a recently joint statement. "Along with ensuring that the proper PPE is available, priority access to a vaccine allows emergency responders to have another tool to protect themselves and the community as a whole."