BASSETERRE St. Kitts - THE St. Kitts-Nevis Fire and Rescue Services Department has begun preparing itself in the event that it is called upon to assist with the Ebola virus should it breach our shores.
Acting Fire Chief Everette O’Garro, in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes indicated that his Department is part of a task force instituted by the Ministry of Health to deal with any case of Ebola if it is introduced to the Federation.
He said his team consists of approximately 10 men, all of whom are undergoing decontamination training at the Basseterre Fire Station compound.
“You would have heard that the Ministry of Health has put a task force in place to deal with the outbreak should it reach our shores. Due to the uniqueness of the function that we perform as part of that task force, our responsibilities would be decontamination. And for that reason, we have put a special team in place, a special group of men and we have commenced a series of training exercises so that we would be ready if we are called upon to assist.”
“As fire service members, a number of us have been exposed to HAZMAT and part of that discipline involves the functions of decontamination because if a person gets contaminated with some sort of chemical or infectious virus, they would need to be decontaminated. It involves a process of washing you down and getting rid of residue of the dangerous chemical or whatever it is.”
He said the officers have acquired the specialised suits - Personal Protective Equipment - which they would wear to protect themselves during the contamination processes.
“We have specialized equipment and we have the suits for the personal protection of the officers. They are Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). We intend to do a continuous training because we want to stay in a state of readiness to keep the guys refreshed in terms of what they are expected to do in response to a threat, keeping them sharp and ready. All members of the team are being trained and this training includes proper catchment and disposal of the water and solution used to wash down etc.”
Chief Medical Officer to the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis Dr. Patrick Martin has indicated because of the measures that have been put in place includng travel restrictions, it is unlikely that the Ebola virus would reach to the Federation.
