Milton Fire Department Gets Training On Ebola Protocol

Submitted by the city of Milton

On Aug. 8, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was declared by the World Health Organization to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern because it was determined to be an “extraordinary event” with public health risks to other countries.

Initially, when the public as a whole became aware of the gravity of this disease and its ease of transmission, the city of Milton Fire-Rescue Department began working on ways to protect its staff as well as the public.

The training for Milton firefighters began by sharing information gained directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University. The classes concentrated on known information about the disease including transmission routes, incubation periods and steps needed to protect our EMTs and paramedics, as well as the citizens we serve.

The initial training revealed that enhanced personal protective equipment would be needed when first responders come in contact with potential Ebola patients. Special suits, gloves, boots, tape, masks, eye and face protection were procured. All Milton Fire Department staff members received instruction on the new equipment, including the proper methods of dressing, undressing and disposal.

The training was also used to dispel rumors of transmission and focus on the known characteristics of the disease and discuss the treatment and coordination of the providers and local hospitals.

Members of the department’s senior staff attended a county wide Ebola functional tabletop exercise on Oct. 24 in conjunction with the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness and the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency.

The exercise focused on known transmission methods, signs and symptoms of the disease, incubation periods, and the effective ways to contain the disease without endangering the first responders or the public.

Scenarios were presented to the participants in an interactive fashion to not only utilize the resources of our agency, but the resources of the Atlanta-Fulton County EMA, Department of Health and the CDC.

Photo credit: Milton Fire-Rescue Department