Buffalo firefighters test positive for covid-19

GOOD EVENING...A RECORD NUMBER OFCORONAVIRUS TESTHAVE BEEN TAKENACROSS THE STATE ...AND THOUSANDS OFPATIENTS HAVE BEENDISCHARGED FROMHOSPTIALS.THE NUMBERSAPPEAR TO BESLOWING DOWN...JUST A BITTHERE ARE MORETHAN 75-THOUSANDCONFIRMED CASES INNEW YORK STATE..HERE IN WESTERNNEW YORK -- THEREARE NEARLY 500CASES IN ERIECOUNTY.TONIGHT... 16MEMBERS OF THEBUFFALO FIREDEPARTMENT HAVETESTED POSITIVE FOCOVID-19... ANDDOZENS MORE ARE ONADMINISTRATIVELEAVE TO MONITTHEIR SYMPTOMS.AS 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTER EDREILLY TELLS US... TFIRE COMMISSIONERWANTS TO MAKE SUREPEOPLE STILL FEELSAFE AROUND OURDEDICATED FIRSTRESPONDERS.SOT: "MY MEMBERSHAVE BEENCLAMORING THATPEOPLE UNDERSTANDTHAT THEY AREINFECTEDFIREFIGHTERS ANDSEVERAL ONADMINISTRATIVELEAVE"THE BUFFALOPROFESSIONALFIREFIGHTERS UNIONWAS THE FIRST TOSHARE THEINFORMATION.

IT WASFOLLOWED BY ACONFERENCE CALLWITH FIRECOMMISSIONERWILLIAM RENALDOWHO CONFIRMED 16FIREFIGHTERS HAVETESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.SOT: WE HAD ONEMEMBERHOSPITALIZED FOR ASHORT TIME AND HE ISBEING DISCHARGETODAY"40 OTHERS HAVE BEENPLACED ONADMINISTRATIVELEAVE AS APRECAUTIONBECAUSE THEYSHOWED SIGNS OFPOSSIBLE INFECTION.SOT: "IT MIGHT JUSTBE A TYPICAL ILLNESSBUT WE ARE SENDINGTHEM HOME TO BEABUNDANTLYCAUTIOUS"NO FIRE HOUSES ARECLOSED AND THEDEPARTMENT ISREASSURING THEPUBLIC THAT IT CANFULLY RESPOND TOCALLS.SOT: WE ARE AT 100%.WE ARE ANSWERINGALL OF OUR CALLS.THERE IS NO DANGERTO THE PUBLIC"CREWS HAVE BEENHIRED TO DEEP-CLEANFIRE STATIONS.AND SINCEFIREFIGHTERS WORK24-HOUR SHIFTS -THEY ARE BEINGCHECKED AT 8AM AND6PM TO MAKE SURETHEY HAVE NO SIGNSOF ILLNESS.SOT: "THEY AREASKED A SERIES OFQUESTIONS.

WE HAVETHERMOMETER ONHAND TO CHECK THEIRTEMPERATURE TOMAKE SURE THERE ISNO INFECTION"BUFFALO FIREDEPARTMENT IS ALSOIMPLEMENTING"PROTOCOL 36"SOT: "WE NEED TOCHANGE THE WAY WEDO BUSINESS IN HOWWE RESPOND TO EMSSO WE CAN CONTINUETO DO THE BESTAMOUNT OF CARE"AT THE SCEROTETIVEENT FROM A SAFDISTAN: "IF THE PERSONIS ABLE TO SPEAK,N THAT ISPART OF THEPROKEEPTHEDESPITE THEILLNESSES .

.

.

THEECHALLENGE.SOT: SOT: "THE ILMINGEMERGENCYRESPONDERS IS AINKBEFORE THEY CALL911.SOTT PUTEXTRA STRESSLYSSARY"SOT:ORE THEINWORK,THE FIREDEPARTRTMENT.ED REILLY 7 EWNTHE FIREDEPARTMENT SAID,THEY MUST BECLEARED BY THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT.