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Members of the public who request assistance from Richmond Fire-Rescue should share any symptoms they are feeling, including ones that could be indicative of COVID-19.
Photo by Jaana Björk
Fire-Rescue having challenges with public not disclosing COVID-19 symptoms
By Hannah Scott (Local Journalism Initiative reporter) and Lorraine Graves
Published 4:24 PST, Tue November 3, 2020
Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
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Richmond Fire-Rescue is reminding members of the public to be transparent about any symptoms of COVID-19 they may have when being approached by medical personnel.
“When we approach a person having medical difficulty, we have questions we go through, one-on-one, so we don’t have the entire crew potentially exposed,” says chief Tim Wilkinson. “But during those conversations, (some) people are not being as forthcoming with information.”
For example, Wilkinson said some people are having symptoms of COVID-19 or have been required to isolate, and attending Fire-Rescue officers are not discovering this until well into their conversations. While people who are feeling symptoms of COVID-19 can still receive medical assistance from firefighters and other professionals, they should share all relevant health information immediately so staff can also remain safe.
“We are all here to provide a service, and happy to provide that service,” says Wilkinson. “But we want to be sure we are safe. By providing the appropriate amount of info, we’re able to make everyone safe around our services.”
As a result of lack of disclosure, last month there were some “isolation-type situations” among Fire-Rescue staff, but nothing became serious. Wilkinson says staff have done very well at protecting themselves. And he adds that Richmond Fire-Rescue’s public education remains virtual, and all fire halls are closed to the public except the No. 1 hall (at the corner of Gilbert Road and Granville Avenue), which is available via appointment.
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