ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — We're seeing people step up all across the country and here at home to help with the coronavirus outbreak. That's, of course, the case from our first responders -- who in some cases could be asked to help with more than just responding to their normal calls.
10News Anchor Allison Kropff talked with the state fire marshal and CFO Jimmy Patronis about how firefighters would be used.
Firefighters would be another resource Florida would have if they were needed. Patronis says they started advocating for firefighters back in February about concerns dealing with coronavirus. But he said they never thought it would be this big of a threat to the state's health and economy.
Think about this: firefighters cross-train as paramedics, so they've been preparing for responding to cases and creating new protocols when dealing with 911 calls. Operators are asking questions, so they know how to respond to a call. If it's a fire, you'd get the entire engine. If it's a fever, etc, it may only be two people respond to enter the building and do as much as they can outside with the proper protections.
Patronis says firefighters are already answering the call to help with the crisis and would be there if needed further.
"These are some challenges, you've heard the call to actions asking for retired nurses, retired doctors, but like what Gov DeSantis has done here recently is when it comes to drive-thru testing they're employing members of the national guard, there are other ways we would supplement those skilled individuals with those that understand the chain of command and understand following orders and missions. In order to ensure those missions are being addressed at the same time ensuring the health and welfare of our citizens in the state."
We also talked to Patronis about a stay-at-home order and whether he thinks it's a good idea. He says he's been getting tons of calls from businesses fearing a statewide shutdown.
He said an A-C contractor called saying "my business has to be an essential worker. We can't create a worse environment by not letting units get repaired."
He says lockdown is an extraordinary measure to take. He says we need to take social distancing seriously and do it right now without requiring a lockdown.
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