COVID-19 Self-Screening Guidelines

• Review your department’s exposure control plan.
• Plan to meet or connect with local and state health departments to discuss policies, procedures and precautions in case COVID-19 becomes widespread.
• Maintain an adequate supply of N-95 and surgical masks and monitor the availability of both masks with your medical supply vendor.
• Routinely check the IAFF website for more information about COVID-19.

Risk Assessment for Potential Exposure
Post-Exposure/Quarantine Symptom Monitoring Tracker

• If you treat a patient who shows signs and symptoms addressed below, document potential exposures according to your exposure control plan.
• Potential exposures should also be documented using the National Fire Operations Reporting System (NFORS) Exposure Mobile App. This will assist in collecting national exposure data for all fire fighters and paramedics.
• Notify your infection control officer.
• If you present signs and symptoms, immediately follow up with your healthcare provider and identify your exposure.

• The CDC recommends N-95 or P100 with eye protection
  • N-95 and higher levels of respiratory protection require fit testing
  • Eye protection should be face shield or goggles
  • Surgical masks with plastic eye lenses are inappropriate PPE
• If possible and tolerated, place a surgical mask on patients to minimize exposure
• Use a clean, non-sterile, long-sleeved, fluid-resistant gown
• Gloves
• Use either single-use, disposable equipment or dedicated equipment to decontaminate. If equipment needs to be shared among patients, clean and disinfect between each patient using ethyl alcohol (70%) or bleach solution (ratio of ¼ cup of bleach in a gallon of water)
• Hand washing
• Minimize patient contact in poorly ventilated areas
• Disinfect the ambulance with bleach solution
  • Routinely clean and disinfect patient-contact areas
• For more information about PPE:
  • CDC Healthcare Supply of PPE
  • Strategies to Optimize the Supply of N95 Masks

• Dispose of disposable respirator, respirator filters, gloves and other disposable equipment/supplies used at the scene as bio-hazardous waste.
• If the turnout gear or station uniform is visibly contaminated by bodily fluid, it should be placed in a biohazard bag at the scene and washed following prescribed laundry procedures. Chlorinated bleach shall not be used with any fire fighter protective clothing. Fire departments should follow the decontamination guidelines in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Structural Fire Fighting Protective Ensembles.
• Non-disposable respirators shall be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendation.
• For decontamination of non-disposable equipment, follow manufacturer and departmental standard operating procedures.
• Vehicles used to transport persons suspected of having COVID-19 should be cleaned by staff wearing protective equipment, using a bleach solution as a disinfectant cleanser.
• See the EPA’s list of Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, the Cause of COVID-19 as of March 3, 2020.