Update #1 Alfred Fire Rescue Provides Update on COVID-19 Impact to Staff

Community Reminded to Always Call 911 in an Emergency

ALFRED– Chief Chris Carpenter and Alfred Fire Rescue are providing the community with an update regarding COVID-19 cases among department employees and resulting staffing challenges. 

The community is reminded and urged to always call 911 in an emergency. All calls are being answered either by Alfred Fire Rescue firefighters and EMTs or mutual aid partners of the department.

Seven members of the 45-person department currently have active cases of COVID-19 and 10 employees have been identified as close contacts. Those with COVID-19 are self-isolating and those who are close contacts are quarantining. All of those individuals will be eligible to return to work as early as next week. The department became aware of the first positive case among staff last week. 

On Saturday, in the interest of the health and wellbeing of staff and the community Chief Carpenter made the decision to cease most department operations until all close contacts could be identified of those who have tested positive. The fire station and apparatus were all decontaminated properly on Saturday as well. All close contacts have been contacted.

Those in the department not impacted by the cases of COVID-19 have continued to serve the community. Alfred Fire Rescue is currently operating on an on-call fire and emergency medical services schedule and is also receiving mutual aid support from other nearby agencies. 

Alfred Fire Rescue is working closely with state and local officials as the department addresses the impact COVID-19 is having on staff, and Chief Carpenter and Deputy Chief Jarrett Clarke wish to thank the Maine Center for Disease Control, Maine EMS, York County Emergency Management Agency, and all of their mutual aid partners during this time. Alfred Fire Rescue also wishes to thank all of the members of the community that have reached out and sent their best wishes during this challenging time.

Alfred Fire Rescue will provide regular updates as more information becomes available. 

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