LAFD Firefighters Under Precautionary Quarantine
Channel: LAFD
Date: 2020-03-13

On Monday, March 2, six members of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to an EMS incident at Union Station where they evaluated an adult female patient who reported breathing difficulty. At that time, the patient did not meet the established risk criteria for COVID-19. The patient declined to be transported to a local hospital.
On Friday, March 13, the Department was notified by the LA County Department of Public Health that the patient had subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. All six firefighters have been recommended by LAC-DPH to self-quarantine for the next three days, which will meet the 14-day quarantine requirement.
None of the fire fighters are symptomatic at this time and the quarantine is being implemented out of an abundance of caution. Four of the six were working at their fire station today before being sent home to complete the quarantine period. The station and its apparatus are undergoing a thorough cleaning.
The LAFD responds to more than 1,350 daily emergency incidents and has implemented robust COVID- 19 screening questions at our dispatch center, as well as issuing detailed instructions to our members regarding personal protective equipment and thorough sanitary habits. The Department continues to work closely with our public safety and public health partners to stay abreast of this extraordinarily dynamic situation.