Thursday, April 2, 2020

CITY: FIREFIGHTERS OUT IN COVID-19 COLD, CHURCH STEPS IN; THEY WARN "CITY IS NOT PREPARED FOR MAJOR CONTAGION"


Firefighter Facebook Page
April 2
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We hope everyone is healthy and happy at home and we give our thanks to those of you that are working through this pandemic for the rest of us.

Yesterday afternoon, the Brownsville Firefighters were informed that neither our city nor our fire department would be providing a temporary quarantine shelter for our medics/firefighters who have been exposed to either Covid-possible or Covid-positive patients.

As first responders, we are fully prepared to meet the needs of this community including the treatment and transport of Covid-19 affected patients. As it is often put to us by our fire administration, “this is the job we signed up for.” 

That is very true. 

What is also true is that our spouses, our children, and our neighbors did not sign up for the risks that we take at work.

It is with that in mind that we had asked for a place to shelter ourselves while we await Covid-19 test results that doesn’t place our families or neighbors at added risk for infection. We appreciate the support we have gotten from our department in the form personal protective equipment but our brothers and sisters need a place to self-quarantine in between shifts.

(The threat is apparently real. In a separate Facebook post a firefighter (name withheld) said that his sister, mother and brother-in-law had been tested and found positive. Neither the city nor the Cameron County Health Department - citing privacy issues - would confirm the post. They are now quarantined and receiving care.

Another complained they were answering medical calls without the proper PPE - Personal Protective Equipment - but that they would be answering all calls regardless.)

Luckily for us, our amazing community has stepped up once again on our behalf. Pastor Mike Dean and Pastor Henry Morales (pictured above with BFFA trustees Gabriel Garza and Isaac Hernandez) of the Brownsville Community Fellowship Church have most graciously allowed us to house our affected first responders in their facility. 

Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude towards the fellowship of the BCFC for taking us in our time of need. You guys are truly a godsend. We’d also like to thank Firefighter/Paramedics Lupita Cruz and Arthur Davenport who helped bring us all together.

We want you all to know that we are proud to serve this community, we’re proud to be considered “essential,” and we’ll keep working as long as is needed to see this pandemic through to the end. The fire and EMS system have a long history of being undermanned, under equipped, and overwhelmed.

We thrive on chaos so it’s a badge of honor for us to face down these challenges with the odds against us. Those challenges are so much easier to face knowing that our families are protected should things go bad for us.

Thank you all for your love, support, and understanding. Have a wonderful day and remember your social distancing (like the guys in the photo above).

March 28
Good morning, everyone. We hope that the day finds you and your family happy and healthy at home. For those continuing to work, we thank you for your service and pray for your safe return home after your shift has ended. We came across this information today from Mission Regional Medical Center and wanted to pass it along.

Should you or a relative experience symptoms of Covid-19 and require an ambulance, please keep in mind that the response protocols of the Brownsville Fire Department have changed a bit due to the pandemic.

Our dispatchers will ask you several pertinent questions so first responders can take the proper protective precautions. Once we arrive and assess the patient’s symptoms and condition, we may transport them to a hospital designated isolation area or you may be asked to remain sheltered in place. If that’s the case, we will make contact with your physician, county health department, and medical control to make sure you are comfortable and have a treatment plan in place.

We apologize for this inconvenience but it is necessary to minimize exposure to the community. We thank you all for your understanding and for your cooperation with the shelter in place mandate. We look forward to the day that everyone is allowed to return to their normal routine but, as always, we’ll be there if you need us.

God bless, everyone.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Brownsville-Firefighters-754560084601542/posts/

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

God bless you and protect all of you first responders, and your families.
THANK YOU

Anonymous said...

BCF ROCKS....

Anonymous said...

And Bernal and his city administrators are all working from home. So much for total alignment.

Anonymous said...

This is not the time to whine. Do your job. It's what's expected.

Anonymous said...

"Trump slammed for begging Congress to not investigate his coronavirus response failures." At Thursday’s Coronavirus press briefing, Trump pre-emptively tried to complain about the upcoming congressional commission into the federal government’s handling of the pandemic, proclaiming that “this is not the time for politics” and demanding the “witch hunts” against him end.

How much time, energy and resources did Congress spend investigating Benghazi, where four people were killed. Trump was certainly OK with those investigations.

But with the Covid-9 pandemic likely to kill many thousands of people, no, for THAT, that doesn't warrant an investigation. Somebody explain to me -- PUTTING ASIDE THE POLITICS OF COURSE -- what is the logic behind Trump's position?

There is NO logic.

Anonymous said...

As they said in the military when I served, "If the Army wanted you to have a wife, it would have issued you one."

Anonymous said...

so how many are quitting?
exactly
cant be that bad

Anonymous said...

Funny how firefighters in Harlingen and McAllen aren't bitching. smh

Anonymous said...

Of course the keystone fire department can't handle a coronavirus epidemic in Brownsville, they can barely stop a small fire. One thing is for sure, they know how to shop for groceries lol

Anonymous said...

Impeach Trump. Everything is his fault. Impeach him. Don't give up on the impeachment. If we can't beat him at least let's keep on trying to impeach him. Come on fellows Democrats. Don't give up. We need to continue fight him on everything. We are the party of unity and tolerance. Let's show it.

Anonymous said...

April 3, 2020 at 7:48 AM ,These men and women are on the front line of this epidemic while your at home watching TV dumbass you'll be the first one to thank them when you and yo mama need help.They are not complaining they just need a place to go incase they get infected shithead.

Anonymous said...

Firefighters in Harlingen and McAllen are not paramedics !

Anonymous said...

Total Alignment? Yeah right, Total Bullshit!!! Leaders lead by example, something that is non-existence on this municipal government.

Anonymous said...

City hall and city plaza are almost empty as most employees are working from home, I cannot understand why city management did not consider these premises as quarantine areas for our first responders. There are shower facilities and areas can be easily outfitted with bunk beds, i guess city management don't care about the welfare of their employees, very shameful.

Anonymous said...

This is so great but how safe will the church be after? And who there is going to disinfect it? Will it be safe to reenter and have they thought of all the protocols they will need to have in place? If you leave it to the the next Pastor in charge el cheapo hestiburg, you can be sure it wont be cleaned using good products.

Anonymous said...

Wow even the church is getting it.

Anonymous said...

De todos estos cabrones no sacas uno!!!

rita