Prepared: Stamford's First Responders Ready to Respond To Any Ebola Threats

An announcement from Mayor David Martin.

Earlier this month Governor Malloy issued an order declaring a public health emergency as a precautionary measure in response to cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). (On Wednesday) Mayor David Martin announced that the City of Stamford has been monitoring and preparing to safeguard the community and first responders since July.

In Stamford today and last week, the Mayor addressed Department Heads from the Office of Public Safety, Health and Welfare during an Ebola Virus Disease exercise in the Emergency Operations Center. He stressed the importance of preparedness through education, awareness and training. Mayor Martin said, “I want to assure our residents there have been no cases of Ebola in our community, and while the risk of an Ebola occurrence remains extremely low, we will be prepared if and when a case does appear in Stamford.”

“The City of Stamford has been preparing to safeguard the community and first responders from the Ebola Virus for several weeks,” said Mayor David Martin, “and during this time frame, we have been working with health officials, emergency medical responders and Stamford Hospital to provide for a safe and coordinated response.”

To ensure the best possible response, the City’s Department of Health & Social Services is coordinating its efforts with the Infectious Disease Department at Stamford Hospital, the CT Department of Public Health, and City first responder agencies since July, in preparation for EVD. In addition the Health and Social Services Department is educating the community about the disease, and establishing protocols in case it becomes necessary to monitor for symptoms of any suspected cases or provide assistance to the State with epidemiologic investigations.

Director of Public Safety, Health and Welfare Ted Jankowski stated, “Stamford’s first response agencies, including Stamford Emergency Medical Services, Health & Social Services, Fire and Police Departments and 911 Communications are prepared and trained to respond to major events and emergencies. Protecting the people of Stamford, along with our first responders and healthcare workers, is our top priority. With this in mind, we are working with each department to provide improved protective equipment and updated training for a safe Ebola Virus response.”

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to provide updates related to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Anne Fountain, the Director of Health and Social Services stated, “It is important that the public have information about Ebola Virus Disease and how it is transmitted. Over the past few months, we have been working to prepare for a potential case here in Stamford. The Department of Health and Social Services has met with response agencies and the hospital to review response protocol, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and up to date information about EVD.”

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Facts

Ebola is Transmitted By:

• Touching the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick or has died from Ebola
• Touching contaminated objects, like needles
• Touching infected animals, their blood or other body fluids or their meat.

Note: You cannot get Ebola though air, through food or through water.

Symptoms of Ebola include

• Fever (subjective or ≥ than 38°C or ≥100.4°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

Note: You should seek medical attention, providing all information to the Medical provider, if you become sick with a fever with or any of the symptoms of Ebola virus disease, and you:

• Have traveled to Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea in the last 21 days, or
• Have had contact with a person who has the Ebola virus disease.

If symptomatic, you will be sent to a hospital for evaluation and placed in an isolation room separate from other patients.

For more information on Ebola visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html