Ceres firefighters test positive for COVID-19 after Turlock Fire Department outbreak
Six Ceres firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday and are isolating at their homes, Ceres Fire Battalion Chief Bret Presson said.
Three of the firefighters worked in the same station, Presson said, and the cases arose about a week after the Turlock Fire Department reported 11 of its staff contracted the disease.
“If you work the same station with somebody, it’s basically no different than living with someone at your own house,” Presson said. “They live together for 48 hours at a time, so it’s no different than a family’s contact in a residence.”
Initially, four firefighters tested positive on Thursday and the department required all other personnel to get tested the next day. Because of the lag between exposure and when symptoms begin, Presson said all personnel will be tested again Tuesday.
The cases are spread across all three shifts, Presson added, but the department did not shut down any stations and is maintaining everyday staffing levels through overtime.
As coronavirus precautions, Presson said firefighters are wearing face coverings at all times in the stations and following tighter social distancing directives.
The department, which has a total of 28 fire personnel, is also conducting health screenings every morning to check temperatures and for symptoms. Firefighters who were exposed are allowed to work unless they develop symptoms, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for essential workers, Presson said.
Ceres firefighters follow coronavirus guidelines, chiefs say
How the firefighters contracted the virus will be difficult to determine, Presson said. Staff have worn personal protective equipment, including an N95 mask, eye protection and medical jacket, when responding to COVID-19 calls since March, he said.
The firefighters with COVID-19 were in contact with each other while responding to emergencies, the department said in a news release Friday, and the city is looking to determine if they were exposed in additional situations. All fire stations and trucks have been professionally sanitized, the department said.
“Although we are acutely aware of the unease this might cause community members, our firefighters on the front lines are properly protected to render the safest aid possible,” Fire Chief Kevin Wise said in the release. “Our entire staff is following the guidelines and parameters established by the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency for testing, quarantine and return-to-work protocol.”
People who test positive for COVID-19 can generally return to work 10 days after symptoms begin and at least one day after recovery, according to guidance from the county Health Services Agency. Recovery is when a fever is gone without the aid of medications like Tylenol and other COVID-19 symptoms are improving. For asymptomatic cases, the 10 days begin after the test date.
Two of the firefighters are Ceres residents and the other three reside in Stanislaus County, according to the release. The Ceres zip code of 95307 has among the highest case rates in the county, with 503 known COVID-19 cases per 10,000 people since tracking began, according to the county dashboard.
In the Turlock Fire Department, all 11 firefighters who contracted COVID-19 experienced mild symptoms or were asymptomatic, Interim Fire Chief Gary Carlson said during the City Council meeting on Nov. 10.
The department placed the 11 firefighters and their close contacts on quarantine, stretching the department thin, Carlson added. Firefighters canceled vacations and time off to keep stations fully staffed, the Turlock Firefighters union said in a Facebook post.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 2:03 PM.
