4 Richland EMTs possibly exposed to COVID-19 last week

RICHLAND, Wash. - The crew was dispatched on a call. When they arrived and began treatment of the patient, the patient's symptoms got worse. The EMTs believed the symptoms could have been related to COVID-19. All 4 of them took extra measures to suit up and protect themselves at that time.

Richland Fire Chief Tom Huntington said that everything went according to protocol. "The moment they realized those symptoms existed, they put protective equipment on in alignment with our protocol. So the risk of the exposure is low." The crew returned to the station and decontaminated the ambulance and cleaned themselves up.

The Fire Department advised them to self-quarantine. Each of them are home and resting and haven't shown any symptoms related to the virus. Because they're asymptomatic, they have not been tested for coronavirus. The department is monitoring each EMT multiple times a day. With about 7 days remaining on their quarantine, if no symptoms are displayed, they are free to come back to work.