WAKEFIELD — Police Chief Rick Smith and Action Ambulance Chief Executive Officer Michael Woronka have announced that their agencies are teaming up to offer first responders a valuable Contagious Disease Protocol class.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak the worst in history and first responders worldwide are refreshing their protocols for handling infectious disease.
“The Wakefield Police Department is trying to be proactive and get out in front of this,” Chief Smith said. “Our knowledge is collective knowledge and by partnering with our EMS provider, Action Ambulance, we will have the information our officers need to better serve the public. Our goal is to protect our staff and our community.
There is a lot of fear and misinformation circulating and we should be looking toward the facts, while at the same time helping to calm that fear.”
The exercise is aimed at refreshing hazardous materials handling and disease response procedures designed to protect first responders and members of the public from potentially contagious infections.
The meeting was arranged by Chief Smith, who arranged for Action Ambulance to share this valuable exercise focused on alleviating fear, giving workers the proper screening tools as well as re-emphasizing existing patient care protocols. Action is Wakefield’s EMS provider.
The training session will be held in the Wakefield Police Department training room on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. Several other area police departments have been invited to attend the class also.
