4 Montgomery Co. Fire And Rescue Members Positive For Coronavirus

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Four Montgomery County Fire and Rescue members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, the county announced late Friday. The cases involve career and volunteer personnel. None of the cases resulted from contact on the job.

The county's public health officials are investigating possible contacts and notifying those individuals. So far 19 career and volunteer personnel have self-quarantined, which includes the four members who tested positive.

The fire department says it's prepared to maintain staffing levels if additional personnel would be impacted by COVID-19. Nearly 2,700 personnel make up the combined volunteer and career departments.

"MCFRS remains fully capable to answer the community’s 911 calls with dedicated career and volunteer providers," said Chief Scott Goldstein. "We have appropriate levels of personal protective equipment and continue to follow guidance that has been set forth for station and vehicle cleaning."

The latest data shows 255 cases of COVID-19 in Montgomery County and 992 in Maryland. Montgomery County has the highest number of cases in the state, followed by Prince George's County with 192, Baltimore County with 141 and Baltimore City with 112.

Anyone who believes they have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath) should contact a health care provider. The doctor will make a decision on ordering testing from a commercial or state laboratory. A person seeking medical attention should call ahead so the provider can take precautions before the visit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to provide updated guidelines on testing guidelines.

Follow Montgomery County's and Maryland's COVID-19 pages for more updates.