Coronavirus outbreak reported at Sanford Fire Department
An outbreak of the coronavirus has been reported at the Sanford Fire Department, according to union officials.
Three firefighters there have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, the Sanford Fire Fighters Association and the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine said in a Monday morning statement.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention classifies an outbreak as three or more linked cases.
“Everyone here at the Sanford Fire Department has been united in working as fast as we can to mitigate the spread of this virus by ensuring that everyone infected has been quickly removed from service and quarantined in order to protect the health and safety of our department, our families and our community,” said Eric Beecher, the president of the Sanford Fire Fighters Association.
Beecher said that firefighters are following coronavirus guidelines when responding to calls, including wearing protective equipment such as N95 masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection.
The unions said that the majority of Sanford’s firefighters have been tested for the coronavirus, but 10 still have not received results 72 hours after testing.
“The coronavirus outbreak at the Sanford Fire Department underscores how critical it is to ensure that our first responders are given top priority in receiving direct access to COVID-19 testing and that they receive their results in a timely fashion,” said Michael Crouse, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine.
As of Sunday, there have been 741 total coronavirus cases reported in York County, where Sanford is located, according to the Maine CDC.
A Maine CDC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It isn’t the first recorded outbreak among first responders in Maine. In June, four of Houlton’s six full-time paramedic and emergency medical technicians and a firefighter tested positive for the coronavirus. That same month, several members of Fort Fairfield’s fire department and one police officer were believed to have been exposed to the coronavirus, but they later tested negative.