The Dix Hills Fire Department Meets The Challenge of COVID-19

June 9, 2020; Dix Hills, NY - Just months ago, very few Americans could have imagined how devastating a pandemic could be. As a group, first responders are always in harm’s way. They are trained to address all types of situations with dedication, organization and professional resolve. Though it is part of the job, being a dedicated, tough, resilient group of individuals certainly helped the Dix Hills Fire Department effectively face the onslaught of COVID-19 when it began.

In commenting on meeting the challenge of COVID-19, Chief of Department Alan Berkowitz stated, "from day one, it was a team effort to protect the public and keep our own people safe. Our District Manager Scott Dalrymple, myself, the Board of Fire Commissioners and Chiefs regularly shared information and brainstormed safety policies. We quickly determined what supplies were needed and where they were available. Scott was able to obtain everything including face masks, gowns, half- and full-face coverings, and paper and cleaning supplies to ensure our ability to continue responding and saving lives."

“We also used multiple Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and infection prevention supplies from Suffolk County Fire Rescue and did our own acquisitions to keep our employees and members safe,” Mr. Dalrymple noted. “The first step in winning this battle against the coronavirus is that you must have a safe home environment to work from in order to keep the public safe, and that meant instituting new policies and procedures in our firehouses.”

The Dix Hills firehouses were closed to the public unless there was an emergency situation. No members or employees were permitted building entry without temperature checks from a new thermal camera, which was likely the first to be introduced in a firehouse on Long Island. Alerts were set and individuals were double checked. Those who still had temperatures above set temperature levels of 101.1°F were sent home. An Air Scrubber was deployed in the Communication Center of the Dix Hills firehouse on Deer Park Road which is used 24/7. The air is continually cleaned to hospital-grade air every few hours.

“Our vehicles are in constant use and regularly cleaned. We took precautions to another level for the greatest safety by adapting Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) to spray disinfectant,” Commissioner Larry Feld added. “After spraying and wiping down our ambulances, we used ultraviolet light to destroy any potential COVID-19 virus. After 20 minutes of high dose UV exposure, everything is sanitized.”

In addition, the Dix Hills Fire Department has raised transparency by regularly communicating with the community through its website, social media and direct mailings.

Meeting the challenge of COVID-19 has been brutal on people all over the world, but those on the front lines such as the men and women of the Dix Hills Fire Department have met this crisis head on without hesitation. With this kind of dedication, the health and safety of Dix Hills residents will be protected as the virus is defeated.

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PHOTO CAPTION:
Pictured is Dix Hills Fire Department-Deer Park Avenue Firehouse.
Photo credit is courtesy of Gary Cucchi with Progressive Marketing Group, which grants media permission of photo use.