Published on April 04, 2020
Menlo Park Fire Protection District
COVID 19 – Pandemic Update – Stop the Spread!
The New Face, Look and Lessons of Fire/Rescue Personnel from the Front Lines of COVID 19
Using Knowledge and Equipment From the World Trade Center Collapse
Engineer/Paramedic Travis Hooper shows the changes and evolution to the Fire Districts COVID 19 response safety equipment, or personal protective equipment (PPE) that included the removable of the cartridge filter and addition of the voice modular (left side) and a hose that goes to a pump and filter system - Credit Menlo Fire
After wearing their “new” personal protective equipment, to a suspected COVID-19 patient who was as in cardiac arrest, Menlo Park Firefighter/Paramedics attempting to save the patient’s life experienced a number of challenges and difficulties presented by their protective safety gear, intended to keep them from infection.
The full-face masks easily fogged up and the cartridge filters on the end of the face piece made it more difficult to see, which impacted the time and techniques needed to start an intervenes line (IV) for fluids and drug therapy and insert an esophageal airway, or tube, into the patients mouth and throat to help them breath. In addition, it was difficult to communicate with members of the family through the face mask.
The solution was relatively simple, but only because the Fire District is also one of the sponsors of the twenty-eight Federal Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces for the Country, not only equipped with lots of specialized equipment, but also the lessons learned from actually responding to many of the Nation’s worst disasters. Specifically, in this case, the World Trade Center (WTC) Collapse on 9/11.
Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “then, like now, we struggled with respiratory and facial protection for our first responders who were working at the Trade Center Collapse, but obviously for different reasons. When I heard about the mask problems, I told our guys to break out the PAPR’s, or Powered Air Purifying Respirators, and mask voice modulators, purchased and distributed to all the National Response Teams after 9/11, located in our Federal Equipment Rescue Cache, at our special operations warehouse”.
From protective Tyvek paper suits, to higher Level-B hazardous material suits, additional medical equipment, decontamination equipment and cleaning supplies, now the PAPR’s and other important emergency equipment, like a tent city, that is ready to go, the Fire District has not only greatly benefited from being a Federal Rescue Team that has a large equipment cache, but also the field experience that helps to quickly evaluate and solve our problems.
A Tent City sits ready to be deployed at the Fire Districts Special Operations Warehouse – Part of its National Urban Search and Rescue Equipment Cache – Credit Menlo Fire
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District provides critical fire and emergency services to its areas in the Town of Atherton, Cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, unincorporated San Mateo County and the SLAC National Accelerator and Laboratories, is leading the way in trying to stop the spread of the virus by carefully and creatively keeping the public and their personnel safe from exposure.
The Fire District is also weekly deep cleaning all of its apparatus, stations and facilities, thanks to the donated efforts of DFS Commercial Cleaning, a local company who just wanted help and contribute in some way to stopping the spread and assisting the Fire District in its primary mission, which is the protection of life, property and the environment.
DFS Commercial Cleaning Personnel using their “green” solution to disinfect fire apparatus – Credit Menlo Fire
For updates on local community impacts and emergency operations, please go to our web-site at www.menlofire.org: or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Next Door. This Community information “Dash Board” was specifically established to keep you in the local loop, because local information seems to be in short supply at times, but is critical to you, your families, friends and overall community well-being!
Engineer/Paramedic Travis Hooper is ready to go - Credit Menlo Fire
Adapt, Improvise, Overcome and Innovate!