Coronavirus and mutual aid agreements
Scott McPherson
in coronavirus, influenza and infectious diseases
|
Post a Comment
It's a dry subject, mutual aid agreements. These agreements, often brokered by higher law enforcement and emergency response, are designed to help beleaguered police and sheriffs offices, fire departments and first responders in the event of a disaster.
Those mutual aid agreements are being looked through and implemented as I type this, in Kirkland, Washington. First, the Washington Post story of today .
From the Post story:
With a quarter of the city’s 100 firefighters under quarantine, Kirkland city officials scrambled to prepare amid a host of unknowns. It remains unclear how many residents have been exposed to the virus, though its spread seems inevitable.
Officials also urged residents to wash their hands and stockpile enough food for several days, as they would in case of an earthquake.
Mayor Penny Sweet, who prepared homemade peanut brittle and toffee to deliver to quarantined firefighters and police officers, said the city is following the advice of public health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said the city is working to limit exposure and that she hopes the spread will be contained.
Okay, back to it. Normally, mutual aid is requested in the event of a localized situation such as a hurricane or tornado. State officials drill these events routinely. But rarely, if ever, have they been exercised for a disease. Twenty-five firefighters and a handful of law enforcement officers are being isolated/quarantined due to potential exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus that has started to appear in the community of 90,000 just northeast of Seattle. Kirkland officials are implementing their mutual aid agreements.
Of course, as we have been preaching for the past fourteen years, is pandemics have the potential to render mutual aid agreements unworkable. That is because pretty much every such organization will be under the same stresses at the same time. Quarantine/isolation will be replaced by sickness or worse. But it is the duty of police chiefs, sheriffs, fire chiefs, and emergency management officials to work together to plan exactly how to maintain public safety and public order in the face of increased absenteeism if COVID-19 continues to spread.
What if a community suffers extremely high absenteeism among its LEOs, firefighters and first responders and public safety is threatened? What if help can't come? Are there retired professionals, auxiliary personnel, and others who can be activated to help fill the void? Only planning and asking the tough questions can determine this.
Reader Comments