Emergency workers seek help responding to virus outbreak

 

April 15, 2020



MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Three groups that represent paramedics and firefighters have written to Gov. Laura Kelly saying they lack adequate protective gear and that their workers compensation doesn't cover them if they become infected with the coronavirus or need to be quarantined.

The Kansas State Association of Fire Chiefs and Kansas State Firefighters Association demanded help Monday in a joint letter. And the Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association said in a letter sent last week that EMS providers are very concerned that they will be "severely financially impacted" if they are exposed to the virus.

Nearly 80% of the state's firefighters are volunteers, while others are part-time workers. Municipalities are generally offering their paid workers time off as needed, but the volunteers are at risk of foregoing wages in their regular jobs if they are exposed, said Kevin Flory, president of the Kansas State Firefighter Association.

"The gap is the volunteers," he said. "You have someone who is an electrician by trade. Their regular job may not address that. We need to make sure those concerns are addressed for them."

As of April 8, more than 60 Kansas fire responders had been potentially exposed or quarantined due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the firefighter’s associations said in their letter. There have been no reports of deaths in the service, although an emergency medical technician with the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, died Monday of COVID-19.

The associations want Kelly to issue an executive order to cover lost wages and the cost of health care for workers on the front line who fall ill or must be quarantined. Other states have taken steps to address the issue, including North Dakota, said Dave Johnston, president of the Kansas EMS Association.

"Kansas workers compensation does not cover communicable disease infections even though EMS and other healthcare providers are clearly putting themselves in harms' way to deliver much needed care," the letter from his association says.

The groups said Kelly has not yet responded. Her spokeswoman hasn't responded to an email sent Tuesday by The Associated Press seeking more information.

Tim Smith, president of the Kansas State Association of Fire Chiefs, said some volunteers are just declining to help amid the pandemic. He also is the chief of the Tonganoxie Township Fire Department. He said only four of the 12 people on his roster are responding to calls. He said he has heard similar concerns from other departments across the state.

"They don't want to become infected and then possibly pass it to their families," he said.

Statewide, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, grew Tuesday to 1,426 cases, up 50 from Monday. The number of deaths increased by seven to 69.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Our Family of Publications Includes:

Arc
Newsgram

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024