Question: How can firefighters protect themselves against COVID19?

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: FAQs for Wildland Firefighters
section_headers: What precautions should be implemented for protecting firefighters and other personnel at fire camps?
section_content: Fire camps can include thousands of personnel living together and working
collectively to respond to a wildfire, often in remote areas. In many ways,
fire camps are like small communities. For example, fire camps employ a number
of support personnel, some of whom may be considered at higher risk for
severe illness from COVID-19 (e.g., people 65 years and older, or
people with serious underlying medical conditions). Also, fire camps have many
people coming and going throughout the day. Therefore, extra precautions
should be taken. Note: Many of the recommendations in CDC’s COVID-19
Guidance for Shared or Congregate
Housing also apply to fire camps.
The following are protective measures that can be employed within the fire
camp to prevent COVID-19 transmission:

Screening of temperature and symptoms for everyone entering a fire camp and daily screening for those who remain at the camp
Encouraging personnel to maintain social distancing (6 feet or more) as much as feasible
Wearing cloth face coverings as a form of source control
Providing hand washing stations (soap and water) or hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol throughout the camp, especially outside bathrooms, portable toilets, and dining facilities
Providing individual bottles of hand sanitizer for all personnel at the fire camp
Ensuring bathrooms, portable toilets, and handwash stations are well stocked with hygiene products (e.g., soap and water, hand sanitizer, paper towels)
Using disinfectants approved by the EPA for use against COVID-19external icon to clean showers, bathrooms, sinks, portable toilets, and handwash stations at least twice a day (in the morning and evening after heavy use) and commonly-touched surfaces in the dining facility before and after each meal. Make sure individuals doing the cleaning are trained on the proper application of the disinfectant and wear protective disposable gloves and other PPE as recommended by the disinfectant manufacturer
Instructing personnel to avoid placing toothbrushes (or other personal items) directly on sinks as that is a potential contamination pathway. Individual totes may be used to carry and keep personal items off sinks
Ensuring that food service personnel wear disposable gloves during preparation and serving of food and practice recommended hand hygiene
Staffing drink stations to limit the number of people touching the drink machines
Instructing personnel not to share personal items (e.g., cups, canteens, safety glasses, etc.) with others
Using ventilation systems, fans, or open windows to increase outdoor air circulation in enclosed spaces within the fire camp including command tents, dining facilities, and showers
Establishing housing in one area of the fire camp (or nearby community) that could be used for isolation, if necessary, and assigning someone on staff to make sure that anyone being isolated is provided with necessities. Note: it is likely people will get sick with illnesses other than COVID-19, but out of an abundance of caution, all illnesses should be treated as COVID-19 until medical staff determines otherwise
Ensuring medical staff in the fire camp are familiar with the CDC Guidance for Healthcare Professionals, which provides information on control measures, including PPE that should be worn, when caring for individuals with known or suspected COVID-19


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
A long and detailed review of measures against COVID-19 spread in fire camps
Gives detailed information for disease prevention aimed specifically at fire fighters.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: FAQs for Wildland Firefighters
section_headers: What does CDC recommend for wildland firefighting personnel who have been in close contact (less than 6 feet) with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19?
section_content: If wildfire personnel have direct personal contact with an individual with
suspected or confirmed COVID-19, they should take the following actions:

Immediately perform hand hygiene (i.e., use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol or wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds).
Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
Clean and disinfect any clothing items or surfaces that were potentially exposed (coughed on, sneezed on, or exposed to body fluids) as soon as possible. 
Non-porous items can be disinfected using products that are EPA-approved for use against the virusexternal icon.
Porous items, like clothing and other reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), should be replaced as soon as possible. The potentially contaminated items should be laundered according to manufacturers’ recommendations using the warmest water available.
Gloves (e.g., nitrile or latex) should be worn when touching potentially contaminated items or applying disinfectants. Perform hand hygiene upon removing gloves or other PPE.



If personnel and resources are available, it is most protective for wildfire
personnel who were exposed to an individual with suspected or confirmed
COVID-19 to stay at home until 14 days after exposure if the exposure was
prolonged (10 minutes or more) or if the exposure was of concern (e.g., the
individual coughed or sneezed on the worker).
If personnel and resources are not available, wildfire personnel (considered
critical infrastructure workers) may be permitted to continue to
work after exposure to ensure continuity of operations. To continue working,
the exposed worker should be symptom-free, and the employer should use the
following prevention strategies:

Screen the exposed worker for symptoms of COVID-19 before each work shift.
Regularly monitor the exposed worker for symptoms, under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider.
Ensure the exposed worker practices social distancing during his/her work shift by assigning tasks where he/she can still work but remain at least 6 feet away from others, if possible.
Ensure the exposed worker wears a facemask (or cloth face covering only if facemasks are unavailable) to protect others.

If an exposed worker develops symptoms of COVID-19 and is still working, the
employer should:

Provide a facemask for the worker to wear (if not already wearing one).
Send the worker to the medical unit, if available, for evaluation to determine if medical care is needed. If a medical unit is not available, encourage the worker to call a qualified medical provider for guidance.
Send the worker home if it is safe for the worker to travel and make sure the worker is wearing a facemask. If it is not safe for the worker to travel, isolate the worker from others on the crew and require the worker to wear a facemask.
Ensure the worker is provided with necessary supplies, including food, water, and hygiene items, while he/she is self-isolating.
Encourage the worker to follow CDC guidance for What to Do If You Are Sick.
Clean and disinfect any surfaces and areas the worker may have touched.
Follow CDC guidance to determine when the worker can return to work.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Gives detailed safety information specifically for fire fighters during the pandmic.
mentions only what to do after contact wit an infected person and not how  to best avoid the contact

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: FAQs for Wildland Firefighters
section_headers: What steps can be taken by wildland fire personnel to prevent infection and spread of COVID-19? How can a crew, module, or resource “isolate as a unit” to better protect themselves?
section_content: The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the
virus that causes COVID-19. All firefighters and support personnel should have
a basic understanding of COVID-19, how the disease is thought to
spread,
what the symptoms of
the disease are, and what measures can be taken to prevent or minimize the
transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.
During the fire season, it will be important that members of each fire crew or
module make an effort to operate and isolate as a unit. Management will need
to develop and implement procedures and protocols to prevent possible
exposures to the virus. When possible, crews should not interchange personnel
or equipment between units and should limit the number of personnel who must
interact with people in the community (e.g. fueling vehicles, picking up
supplies, etc.). This will require planning and using technology to safely
accomplish tasks while maintaining social distancing as much as possible. This
may include implementing procedures that allow fire crews or incident
management personnel to stay remote, isolate from other units, or complete
tasks or missions virtually. If close contact with others in the community is
necessary, it is advised that all personnel wear facemasks or cloth face
coverings for source control.
Wildfire management and personnel should prioritize reducing fatigue and
remaining healthy throughout the fire season. Rest and proper hydration and
nutrition should be prioritized and emphasized every workday.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Could use more information on what do do if contact with an infected case has already occurred
Has specific recommendations for fire fighters during the coronavirus pandemic.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Excellent