HoCo Launches Rapid Response Team For Coronavirus Cases

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — When six Howard County first responders assisted an ill nursing home resident from Elkridge who later tested positive for the new coronavirus -- the county's first case -- the emergency workers self-isolated for 14 days. From that point forward, Howard County Acting Fire Chief William Anuszewski shared with the community via Facebook that first responders would be wearing special protective personal equipment, or PPEs, to keep themselves safe while providing care to those who need it.

"Moving forward, our responders may be wearing various forms of personal protective equipment to ensure the safety of our personnel and the community. Do not take alarm as these are universal precautions used in an emergency setting to limit exposures," Anuszewski shared.

Since that first call, the department has responded to 76 coronavirus "incidents" as of March 24, fire and rescue department spokesperson Bradley Tanner told Patch. The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services now has enacted a Rapid Response Team program to "enhance emergency medical resources" while responding to calls for assistance stemming from the virus.

On March 22, the new protocol from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems allows EMS personnel to not be required to transport stable patients with coronavirus symptoms. HCDFRS also is one of the first EMS agencies in the region to implement a Rapid Response Team program, the department shared. Staffed by specially trained Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH) paramedics, the RRT can evaluate patients with non-life-threatening symptoms and will carry out follow-up calls with those patients who are not transported.

“The goal of this program is to provide additional emergency medical capacity during this unprecedented event,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in a statement. “We are confident this program will help preserve critical healthcare infrastructure in a manner that does not compromise patient and emergency responder safety.”

Anuszewski added that the RRT helps preserve the county's other emergency service resources, such as ambulances and fire suppression units.

“This, in conjunction with the newly released pandemic triage protocol from MIEMSS, will help reduce the stress on the healthcare system," said Anuszewski.

In the time since the RRT was rolled out, it has already responded to multiple medical calls and evaluated several patients, which helps the EMS system be able to provide care for other patients with more serious symptoms, Tanner said.

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