Coronavirus Spurs Changes For Fairfax Co. Public Safety Personnel

FAIRFAX, VA — The new coronavirus has spurred numerous changes for Fairfax County's public safety personnel, including first responders who respond to calls in public. The Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Department of Public Safety Communications and Fairfax County Sheriff's Office continue operations while protecting personnel and others with precautions.

The sheriff's office confirmed the first coronavirus case involving an inmate at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center Monday. Personal visiting is suspended until further notice, and inmates are offered two 15-minute calls each week as an alternative. Professional visiting involving attorneys, probation officers, law enforcement officials and court-authorized behavioral health professionals are allowed in a non-contact area.

Additional screening and cleaning protocols have been in place since mid-March. When an arrested person is brought to the adult detention center, sheriff's deputies will ask screening questions to determine possible coronavirus exposure, as well as check the person's temperature. A person who answers yes to a screening question or has a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or above will get additional screening by a nurse. If the nurse believes the person may have the new coronavirus, the person will wear a mask and be isolated in a receiving cell, and the sheriff's office will request guidance from the health department. All booked individuals are quarantined for 14 days before admission into the general population.

The adult detention center's cell blocks are cleaned daily; a hospital-grade cleaner is being used in unoccupied areas, and high-touch areas like hallways, elevators, doors are regularly wiped down.

Fairfax County Police's district stations and investigative entities remain fully staffed with an emphasis of handling certain reports over the phone or online. The police department is designating some non-emergency events to be handled by phone rather than through face-to-face contact with an officer. The department’s Community Reporting System expanded operating hours to 24 hours and has additional staff to non-emergency reports by phone. Residents can call the non-emergency number at 703-691-2131; emergencies should always be directed to 911. Scams and other financial crimes can also be reported online.

For on-site services, officers have personal protective equipment available if they believe it's needed. Officers and other first responders may maintain six feet of distance initially when responding to a call. The Safety Officer program is available 24 hours a day to help officers decontaminate equipment and cruisers.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue's first responders also may maintain a six-foot distance during an initial assessment of patients. Personnel may wear enhanced Personal protective equipment for certain calls, and personal protection masks will also be placed on patients when possible and appropriate.

The Department of Public Safety Communications is splitting staff between the primary call center at the McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center and a center at Pine Ridge to allow for social distancing. Staff are switching positions every six hours rather than every four hours, and workers clean work stations when they arrive. The centers are restricted to essential personnel, while support staff are working remotely when possible.

Fairfax County government closed all facilities to the public at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 27 to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus. The county has a list of services accessible online during the facility closures. For more information on the county operating status, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/status.

SEE ALSO:

• VA Picks Extra Hospital Sites For Late-April Coronavirus Surge
• Fairfax Health District Reports 3 More Coronavirus Deaths