Daily Blast for 3.26.2020 (running a bit late)
- We have stopped using bleach for disinfecting ambulances as of today. Sani-Quat recently got approval from the EPA to be used on the novel corona virus (SARS-CoV2). Instructions for how to mix it are on the big bottles of concentrate and are now on the sidebar of this web page as well as on the gallon jugs of concentrate.
- We are making it in both the gallon sprayers and in the quart spray bottles. Please follow the directions on how to mix it. Do not just eyeball it. In every ambulance there is (or will be by tomorrow) a gallon or two sprayer for large scale decon, a small spray bottle and stuff to make more. In each ambulance there is a baggie with 15ml of Quat in syringes for mixing the 32 oz spray bottles and there is a 2oz bottle of concentrate to add to one gallon of water in a sprayer. There is Quat concentrate at both ends of the station. The bottles should live in the oxygen tank cabinet, so we all know where they are.
Remember to let Sani Quat sit on potentially infected surfaces for at least ten minutes to kill everything. - I wasted several hours this morning doing bleach-math and mixing up solutions for bleach resulting in a bleach protocol before I got the word about Sani Quat. I have put this bleach protocol on the website sidebar just in case there is ever a future need. A lesson learned today is that not all bleach is created equally and it important to really check which bleach has what concentration; ‘splashless’ bleach is practically worthless for disinfection.
- Taping up the cabinets is a great idea, unfortunately, the tape is not holding up. Tomorrow we will be testing some more tapes against cleaning solutions. We have one tape that absolutely will not come off unless you want it to, but it is pricey, so we will try one more tomorrow and then decide which tape to use.
- Goggles are in. I have distributed goggles to all the full-time personnel. They are at your respective stations. PRN employees should ask their supervisor as soon as they come on shift for a pair. I have some glasses that should fit over prescription eyewear coming in the next day or two. These goggles are yours to keep. I am working on a plan to sanitize them and will have more on that very soon.
- Some of you may have heard that two employees were on isolation for a night at a hotel. I am relieved to say that they were released today as the patient’s test returned negative.
- There was a death in Columbine manor recently of a suspected SARS-CoV2 patient. There results came back negative.
- Remember to spray door handles on the outside of the ambulance after transporting SARS-CoV2 patients.
- Shift checklist. A shift checklist has been implemented to ensure we have equipment that is vital to our safety while dealing with SARS-CoV2. Please have both partners do a two-person double check off and both sign off on this at the beginning of your shift. Turn it into the box each shift. There will be disciplinary action for not doing this – not because I want to punish people but because we absolutely must do this to be safe and not doing it puts all of us at risk. This needs to be done first thing in the morning on your first shift. The shift checklist is now at both ends of the county in all ambulances and available on the webpage sidebar.
- PPE remains good, no shortages or changes for now.
- Currently no employees are on isolation or awaiting test results on themselves or source patients.
If you haven’t seen the new web page, go to https://chaffeecountyems.com/sars-cov2-employee-information/ the password is ccems.
