Villages of Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills Adopt New Ebola Protocols

Image via shutterstock. Submitted by the Village of Hinsdale.

In response to the Ebola situation, the Village of Hinsdale in cooperation with Clarendon Hills, Western Springs, LaGrange, and LaGrange Park have been working together with local hospitals to develop a uniform set of protocols for patient care, employee safety and to safeguard public health.

Effective immediately our dispatchers will be asking 9-1-1 callers reporting an illness or similar medical condition, questions to ascertain if the patient has any flu like symptoms, has traveled abroad etc. Our personnel will respond in their usual expedient manner but once on the scene they will take deliberate actions to evaluate the medical condition and will limit exposure to a minimum amount of emergency personnel. This means, for example, that emergency personnel may wear protective clothing. Similarly, patients may be placed in protective clothing. We ask that patients, family members and neighbors do not become alarmed with this response protocol.

While there are no local case of Ebola, we along with our sister agencies and our hospital networks are taking actions that are in an abundance of caution to assure the safety of both our residents and emergency response personnel. Towards that end, we continue to train personnel in the same protocols, share medical equipment and develop contingency plans to assist each participatory village should resources be committed.

The Ebola situation is ever changing. We will continue to cooperate on an inter- governmental basis and coordinate with our resource hospital. We will also continue to keep you informed on this issue. You can access the most up to date information through the DuPage County Health Department’s website at www.dupagehealth.org or by telephone (630) 682-7400. Additional information can also be found at www.idph.state.il.us/ebola or the Illinois Department of Public Health Ebola Hotline 1- 800-889-3931. You can access the most up to date information through the DuPage County Health Department’s website at dupagehealth.org or by telephone (630) 682-7400. Additional information can also be found at the Illinois Department of Public Health Ebola Hotline 1-800-889-3931.

Additional Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Illinois Department of Public Health