Tag: florida fire chiefs association

“On the call today, we discussed progress on vaccine distribution to first responders as well as how firefighters can be an incredible asset in the war against the Coronavirus. With the vast majority of firefighters serving as paramedics and EMTs, local county health units have an incredible workforce that’s ready to step up and get these vaccines distributed in our communities."

“Our firefighters live in extremely close quarters inside a fire station where social distancing is difficult and nearly impossible when responding to emergency calls. If one fire station goes down with a rash of COVID cases, it puts a strain on the entire fire department in that area. We must do everything we can to ensure continuity of emergency services by protecting these first responders,” he added. 

“With nearly 380 firefighters statewide taken off the frontlines due to the threat of COVID-19, this data is crucial to our fire departments who work to support each other and protect our communities. I cannot thank these brave men and women enough for their tireless efforts to keep us safe as we work together to safely reopen our state," he added. 

Patronis was on a conference call with the Executive Boards of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and the Florida Professional Firefighters to receive updates on COVID-19 response efforts. They talked about how firefighters can play a role as the state looks to expand testing.

This week, Patronis took part in a call with the executive boards of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and the Florida Professional Firefighters this week.

“During the call, the CFO stressed the importance of being prepared for major policy directives that may require increased manpower, such as the deployment of drive-thru testing on a statewide level, as public services become further strained,” the CFO’s office noted. 

On Wednesday, Patronis had an operational readiness call on coronavirus with the executive board of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. Also on the call was state Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park,  who is a medical doctor and the chairman of the Florida House Health Market Reform Subcommittee.

Patronis issued a statement following a call on Tuesday with the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, Urban Search and Rescue Teams, and other Florida fire service leaders.