Wearing a mask with firefighting gear isn’t easy.
Remote training isn’t a piece of cake, either. After all, fighting fires, manning traffic accidents and assisting with medical calls are all hands-on activities.
Masks and training are just two of the challenges that firefighters have faced over the past year as impacts from the pandemic have seeped into all aspects of their work.
The Boulder Monitor this week talks with firefighters from the Jefferson City and Boulder Volunteer Fire Departments as part of its ongoing series, “On the Front Lines,” which highlights those working directly with the public during the pandemic.
Dave Cooper is an engineer with the Jefferson County Volunteer Fire Department. His job is to run the trucks and pumps when out on a call. He’s also president of the organization, having been with the department since 2009.
For him, the biggest change since COVID-19 arrived has been having to do a good deal of training remotely.
“It’s okay, but it’s not the best,” he said, adding that some training, such as how to use a new engine, can only be done in person.
Boulder Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Hecht agrees that training by Zoom leaves a lot to be desired.
“To me, hands on is where you get your experience,” he said, but said that since many department volunteers are older, they prefer the opportunity to learn remotely.
Jefferson City VFD Chief Bud Siderits said Zoom has had some advantages. The digital platform has made the department’s meetings more efficient as it has cut down on “chewing the fat,” that tended to occur at in-person gatherings, said Siderits. He believes the department will continue to use it, for meetings at least, once the pandemic is over.
It saves members from having to drive to meetings, he said.
Hecht looks forward to having multi-department training sessions again and without the threat of the virus hanging over everyone’s head.
“You learn a lot working with other departments,” he said.
COVID-19 has also impacted recruitment as one new member was unable to complete his training hours to get certified because he was quarantined, said Hecht.
For Siderits, it’s the cleaning protocols that have changed.
He said everyone is concentrating on disinfecting high touch areas, such as door handles.
“We made a real effort on the cleanliness,” he said.
The virus did prompt the Jefferson City VFD to buy two more self-contained breathing apparatus so that each firefighter has his or her own, said Siderits.
Initially the department had nine SCBA’s and 11 firefighters, said Siderits. They tried cleaning them with bleach and water, then in a bucket in the shower and then a spray, but finally decided to get two more masks and assign one to each person, he said, adding that new units cost $450 and up.
And then there are the masks.
“We wear fireproof hoods over our heads, which then covers your ears, which makes it hard to put a mask on and keep it on when you are moving around,” said Cooper.
When the department assists with a medical call, they wear masks and gloves and try to have as little contact with the items inside a person’s house as possible, he said.
“We have a supply of masks for members of the department and cleaning supplies. We keep hand sanitizer in all the trucks right now so that when we’ve had interactions we can address that before we head back to the station,” said Cooper, adding that in a fire situation, the self-contained breathing apparatus would provide the necessary protection.
Hecht said the department is notified by dispatch if a call involves a possible COVID-19 patient and that gives them a chance to take extra precautions. However, with vehicle accidents, that’s an unknown, he said.
And Hecht thinks the number of volunteers willing to respond has dropped a bit due to COVID-19 — but other factors could include weather or the time of day.
“It has kept some people back,” he said.
In a traffic situation, the department is interacting with drivers, the sheriff and highway patrol, the folks from the wrecking company as well as doing traffic control — all of that involves interacting with people, said Cooper.
“So where we might have had much closer contact in the past, we are staying back,” he said.
The arrival of vaccines has helped.
“We were fortunate to be considered in the ranks of the critical workers and have gotten ourselves into the cycle as far as the vaccinations are concerned. At least eight members have gotten both doses. That makes us a little bit more comfortable, but we are still practicing the appropriate procedures,” said Cooper.
Cooper and Hecht look forward to having community events again.
Hecht said Boulder’s annual corned beef and cabbage fundraiser was cancelled and people were disappointed with that.
Cooper said the Jefferson City VFD usually does an Easter egg hunt. It was cancelled last year and will likely again be this year, he said. Then there was Kid’s Day, a burger and hot dogs barbecue in August and the chili dinner in October, all of which were canceled last year, he said.
“So hopefully, by the time we hit the summer, things will be in good enough conditions that we feel comfortable doing that,” he said.
Reporter Bridget Weigel contributed to this report.
