By Genevieve Judge, Local News 8 Reporter
POCATELLO - H1N1 or swine flu has become a topic of everyday conversation. We usually associate the illness with schools and children. But perhaps those who come in contact with the disease the most are emergency responders.
Its an around the clock job for emergency responders like police officers, firefighters and sheriffs deputies to keep us safe. It's why they need to be healthy when on the job.
"We're taking seriously the warnings that this could be a very serious epidemic. And so we want to have our first responders protected as best we can," said Captain Rick Capell, with the Pocatello Police Department.
Inside the Pocatello Police Department, hand sanitizer stations have been put up on the walls. They are just one of many departments in the Gate City making an effort to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.
"We don't want our personnel to become infected and cause our personnel to be sick. The second thing is we don't want to pass that along to other patients that we come in contact with throughout the day," said Chief Mike Irwin, with the Pocatello Fire Department.
Emergency responders have constant contact with the public everyday. It's why they're being more prepared when it comes to the spread of germs.
"We are first responders. Like the fire department, EMS services. And if we do have an epidemic or any other emergency, we still have to function. We have to be able to be out there so we need to be more cautious than anybody else," said Capell.
Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of germs. But emergency workers say that's not all they're doing. Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, they are all things that officers and firefighters are carrying to protect themselves. The H1N1 vaccine is on the way to the Bannock County Jail for inmates and deputies.
"We're working in such close proximity to people. It's just important to do what we can, in a prevention mode, to protect the officers and also the inmates," said Chief Deputy Jim Dalley, with the Bannock County Sheriff's Office.
The Center for Disease Control says emergency responders, hospital workers and their families are some of the first that could receive the first batch of the vaccine.
The priority populations for vaccine have been established by the CDC. They are:
- Pregnant women
- Parents & care givers of infants less than 6 months of age
- Infants, Children, and Young Adults from 6 months of age through 24 years of age
- Adults age 25-59 who have an underlying medical condition which may increase the likelihood of negative outcomes should them become infected with H1N1
- Health care workers and Emergency Medical Services personnel
These priority population groups were established by the CDC based on the pandemic to date; these are the people who are most likely to have serious outcomes should they become ill with H1N1.
Dalley says the vaccines for the Bannock County Jail inmates and deputies should be here by October 1st. Deputies with the Bingham County Jail say they haven't heard if they'll be getting vaccines. The medical staff at the Bonneville County Jail says they don't do vaccinations for inmates but do offer flu shots to their staff.
