Albion Fire Department taking extra precautions to help protect personnel responding to calls
‘We are asking all community members to be proactive and take this situation seriously. Stay informed. Wash your hands. Stay home when sick. Call 911 only for true emergencies. Follow the guidance of actual medical professionals.’ – Albion Fire Chief Harry Papponetti
Press Release, Albion Fire Chief Harry Papponetti
ALBION – The Albion Fire Department is modifying response guidelines as a precautionary measure related to COVID-19.
AFD believes this to be a matter of “when,” not “if,” our community will be directly impacted by this virus. Accordingly, we are implementing proactive, reasonable and rational steps to protect the community we serve, as well as our firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Beginning immediately, we are taking precautions to ensure AFD firefighters and emergency medical personnel remain healthy and able to respond to fire-rescue emergencies. To that end, we are issuing several temporary response orders to AFD personnel.
Rest assured, we will still respond to your emergencies as we always have and always will. We will be limiting the number of personnel entering homes and businesses for what we determine to be “low-risk” calls or emergency medical calls where the risk for disease transmission is higher.
As a person in need of our services, you might find yourself being asked questions by AFD response personnel from outside of the structure. You or your caregiver or relative(s) may be asked to wear a mask while we assess your medical condition. Again, this is being done out of an abundance of caution to maintain a healthy, well-staffed and prepared emergency response team.
In addition, the AFD Fire Station will be closed to all non-emergency response community members until further notice.
We are asking all community members to be proactive and take this situation seriously. Stay informed. Wash your hands. Stay home when sick. Call 911 only for true emergencies. Follow the guidance of actual medical professionals.
Information about COVID-19 can be found on the Orleans County Public Health, NYS Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.
