What happens in an emergency if thereB次元官网网址檚 no one left to call?

ItB次元官网网址檚 a situation first responders on the West Shore never want to see. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they sprang into action. But this time, how they responded was forced to change.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 get the option to work from home,B次元官网网址� said View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst. B次元官网网址淐ollectively, we all realized on the West Shore if one of our departments fell, then it would be incumbent on the others.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 a sentiment echoed by all five West Shore fire chiefs as they pointed to the mainland where a hall was crippled after a coronavirus exposure sidelined many of its firefighters.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not letting our guard down,B次元官网网址� added Colwood Fire Chief John Cassidy.

With their doors shut to the public, operations have changed for the foreseeable future. Creating roadblocks for the people they are there to protect was not an option and that has created challenges.

While crews may not always look like theyB次元官网网址檙e following strict protocols, theyB次元官网网址檙e there to do a job and keep everyone safe.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 want people to think weB次元官网网址檙e not available,B次元官网网址� said Stephanie Dunlop, Metchosin Fire Chief and emergency program coordinator. B次元官网网址淏ecause weB次元官网网址檙e so connected with our community, itB次元官网网址檚 ensuring they have the tools to stay safe.B次元官网网址�

B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) is also working hard to keep its dispatchers and paramedics safe. With three dispatch centres in the province B次元官网网址� Langford, Vancouver and Kamloops B次元官网网址� an outbreak at dispatch could be crippling.

Like many, BCEHS faced a shortage of personal protective equipment and was forced to find alternatives while keeping up with demand. Early supplies of N95 masks ran out but 3M Elastomeric Facepiece Respirators (EFR) had already been sourced. However, that was no small task.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just a matter of giving someone a mask and saying B次元官网网址榟ereB次元官网网址檚 your new maskB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� We had to fit test the entire province for the new EFRs,B次元官网网址� said Brad Cameron, BCEHS superintendent of patient care delivery for Greater Victoria.

Paramedics were then fitted again for another N95 alternative B次元官网网址� as well as being outfitted with gowns, gloves, eye protection and more.

Unlike sterile environments in hospitals, members of B.C. Ambulance Service are going into homes where there is an B次元官网网址渆normous viral load.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not the same environment,B次元官网网址� Cameron explained, adding paramedics canB次元官网网址檛 risk cross-contaminating their ambulance or emergency rooms.

This means paramedics are suiting up differently for calls and itB次元官网网址檚 creating some challenges. B次元官网网址淵ou sweat like youB次元官网网址檙e standing in a shower,B次元官网网址� Cameron said of the summer months. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 extremely uncomfortable.B次元官网网址�

And while paramedics are gearing up, theyB次元官网网址檙e often faced with family members or the person who has called them, demanding they drop the extra protocols because the patient doesnB次元官网网址檛 have COVID.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know that and we canB次元官网网址檛 take a risk,B次元官网网址� Cameron said. B次元官网网址淭hey get quite angry and take it out on the paramedics B次元官网网址� over time it wears on the paramedics.B次元官网网址�

With 30 years of experience on the street as a paramedic, Cameron has never seen anything like this. B次元官网网址淚t has added a level of complexity our paramedics have never seen before.B次元官网网址�

READ MORE: Is COVID-19 a sign of things to come?

Volunteers

Over at the fire halls, the West Shore departments rely on volunteer members to round out staffing. But when the pandemic hit, the departments were forced to look at how they were responding to calls and find ways to limit potential exposures. For View Royal, that meant changing the way the hall was staffed and shifting to a day and night crew. B次元官网网址淪o we wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to call people in from home,B次元官网网址� Hurst explained.

Colwood took a similar approach, but as Cassidy said, the departments didnB次元官网网址檛 only have their members to worry about.

B次元官网网址淥ne exposure now ripples out and exposes families of our members B次元官网网址� COVID has affected the department in many significant ways.B次元官网网址�

And when a department is entirely run by volunteers, as it is in Highlands, that means firefighters have tough choices to make.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to rely on people to show up,B次元官网网址� said emergency coordinator and Fire Chief Dean Ford. Members are ultimately making the decision to put their families at risk every time they go on a call. But most have stepped up and Ford said the added safety precautions B次元官网网址� such as temperature checks before entering the halls and more stringent cleaning procedures B次元官网网址� have helped alleviate some of that stress.

None of the fire departments, nor the West Shore RCMP, have had a member test positive with COVID-19. Of 4,500 provincial BCEHS members, only eight have test positive (one on the Island) and seven of those members contracted the virus from family members B次元官网网址� not on the job.

Changes to response

Firefighters across the West Shore have also adapted how they respond to calls. Traditionally, everyone who could, would respond. But when COVID hit that changed. The fire departments limited the number of members going on calls, who was responding to certain calls, how many members went and even the types of calls they would send trucks to. All of this was done to limit the number of members who could be potentially exposed.

For first responders, physical distancing isnB次元官网网址檛 usually an option when close personal contact is required for saving someoneB次元官网网址檚 life, detaining a suspect or even just speaking with someone needing emergency response.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 certainly weighed on the mental psyche of our members,B次元官网网址� explained Insp. Todd Preston, Officer in Charge of the West Shore RCMP.

In an effort to limit potential exposures, police also changed how they are responding to calls with certain members helping residents not requiring one-on-one response B次元官网网址� for example, starting a file on a minor crash.

The detachment also shifted section members to areas they were seeing the biggest need. When the pandemic hit, West Shore RCMP saw a dramatic increase in thefts from pharmacies as well as grocery and liquor stores. Members were moved from other duties and strategically places outside these businesses. They heard from loss-prevention officers in-store that thieves were wheeling carts of stolen product out of the store but would stop in their tracks once they saw the officers.

ALSO READ: Mental Health B次元官网网址� A look at a fractured system

Call volumes

While the RCMP saw an initial uptick in specific calls, the fire departments and BCEHS saw their call volumes drop when the pandemic hit.

On average, BCEHS sees about 1,400 calls a day across the province. While 2020 started as a typical year B次元官网网址� with an expected increase in calls from the year before B次元官网网址� when the pandemic hit, they too saw a dip with more people staying home. But their call volume is back up to that average after a spike in mental health calls during the summer.

And with cold, dark days on the horizon, first responders are worried about the mental health of the community.

B次元官网网址淚 am bracing,B次元官网网址� Preston said, adding the detachment saw a dramatic spike in August for calls relating to mental health and well-being. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think thatB次元官网网址檚 going to get any better.B次元官网网址�

Firefighters have also seen a spike. During the first 12 weeks of the pandemic call volumes were dramatically down for firefighters B次元官网网址� due to limiting medical aid response B次元官网网址� but Cassidy said Colwood Fire Rescue is only tracking about 20 per cent behind last year B次元官网网址� which was a record year for calls. And theyB次元官网网址檙e not unique in that.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e right back up to our historic numbers,B次元官网网址� Hurst added of View Royal.

Training

With call volumes on the rise, keeping up with demand has had another set of challenges. After approximately six months without training, the departments have faced challenges in keeping up their skillsets and getting new recruits certified to respond.

B次元官网网址淲e were right in the middle of a recruitment class,B次元官网网址� explained Langford Fire Chief Chris Aubrey, noting training is essential in keeping their numbers up as they lose volunteers to other commitments.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a situation thatB次元官网网址檚 not unique to the fire departments and many community organizations have faced similar challenges, he said. While some training can be done online, some needs to be done in-person.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 tough to do live fire online,B次元官网网址� Aubrey said, and someone who isnB次元官网网址檛 certified canB次元官网网址檛 be sent into a burning building.

Camaraderie

Training isnB次元官网网址檛 the only activity at the halls that has been sidelined.

Letting the members know theyB次元官网网址檙e appreciated has been a challenge with fun events, community meals and gatherings all cancelled. Aubrey noted a member of Langford Fire Rescue is celebrating 35 years of service but as the department has more than 65 members, they arenB次元官网网址檛 able to host their annual appreciation dinner.

None of the departments are.

Making sure that camaraderie stays intact has been challenging but itB次元官网网址檚 forced creativity. B次元官网网址淚n the fire service, weB次元官网网址檝e relied on traditions B次元官网网址� nowB次元官网网址檚 the time to create new traditions,B次元官网网址� Aubrey explained.

Halloween is a good example of that noted Dunlop. With the traditional bonfires and other events at the halls cancelled, they were forced to come up with something new.

Over at the West Shore RCMP, community support has helped members get through. The detachment serves seven communities including five municipalities (View Royal, Colwood, Metchosin, Langford and Highlands), as well as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

B次元官网网址淭hey have just been unwavering in their support,B次元官网网址� Preston said, noting residents have stopped by with cards and other gestures of appreciation. Officers have even had community members pay for their orders in drive-thru lineups, something they like to pay forward by paying for the next order in line. Like the community, officers are mentally exhausted and Preston said the little things help.

But at the end of the day, as Dunlop said, first responders are here to give back to the community.

READ MORE: Best of the WestShore Award results

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