With the change in Auckland to COVID-19 Alert Level 3, Officers are reminded of the ability to use their command radios to talk directly with St John Ambulance staff when responded to Purple Events.
Having the ability to communicate directly with other first responders, ascertaining the need for Fire Emergency assistance may help alleviate exposing Firefighters to undue risk.
Also, with direct communication, incident locations and needs can quickly be assessed by Officers with appropriate size ups commenced.
Officers are reminded to inform the ComCen of:
K-30 (advise other agencies to monitor liaison channel)
and to change their command radios to:
VHF Zone A Ch10 Interagency Liaison
whilst responding to purple events.
If any members have any questions around this advice, please contact one of the Local Executives or Josh Nicholls (Green Watch City).
COVID questioning protocols:
Members are reminded that during Covid-19 Alert Levels, St John has instructed their call takers NOT to ask any Covid-19 questioning.
Whilst FENZ has instructed our call takers to ask the appropriate questioning, as Purple Events are sent automatically from St John, Officers must ensure that the appropriate questioning protocols are carried out at all incidents, but especially medical incidents.
To help you know what extra precautions should be taken when attending an incident (including medical response), make sure you ask these questions:
- Does anyone at the location have COVID-19 or is there anyone suspected of having COVID-19?
- Is anyone at the address a casual contact of a known case?
- Has anyone at the address recently travelled outside of New Zealand?
- Is anyone at the address waiting for results of a COVID-19 test?
If you are attending a medical call where there is no obvious immediately life-threatening problem, always pause more than two metres from the patient and ask these questions.
Refer to the PPE requirements for the current Alert Level in your area:
All incidents where you suspect there is a person with COVID-19 (even if they are not the patient) MUST be reported in Safe@Work, so that we have records of where and when our people may have been in contact with an infected person.
