A. Universal Precautions

Communicable diseases and their modes of transportation necessitate specific precautions on the part of all Fire Department members. All patients are to be considered potentially infectious and the following procedures should be followed to minimize the opportunity for infection:

1. Avoid contact with the patient’s body fluids through the use of gloves, masks, and eye protection.
2. Avoid direct contact with your skin from contaminated medical equipment.
3. Avoid touching your face and clothing before you have washed your hands.
4. Wash your hands and contaminated surfaces carefully after treating a patient or handling soiled or potentially contaminated articles, (i.e., the steering wheel, medical equipment, tools, etc.), touched while your hands were contaminated.
5. Wear disposable gloves during patient care and equipment clean up, especially when you have an open wound on your hand(s).
6. Clean and disinfect all equipment used to treat or transport the patient with a 10% bleach solution, (i.e., stretcher, stokes basket, laryngoscope etc.).
7. When appropriate, you may wish to cover yourself with a disposable gown, goggles, and mask. However, when using these items, be sure to dispose of them appropriately.
8. All potentially contaminated disposable supplies shall be placed in marked bio-hazard bags for disposal.

PERSONAL CLEANING

Field Cleaning

The following resources will be committed to each unit for infield decontamination efforts:

1. A supply of disposable gloves and masks to be worn whenever airborne
transmission or the splashing of blood and bodily fluids is deemed likely. The mask may also be applied to patients to contain the spread of sputum
droplets.
2. A supply of impervious bags to be utilized for equipment collection.
3. Safety glasses.
4. Water less cleanser on the apparatus.

B. Engine House Washing

All hand washing, cleaning or soaking of equipment will be done in the “slop sink” of each engine house. The general procedure for decontamination shall be as follows:

1. Clean equipment - Removal of all potentially contaminated matter with 10% bleach solution. Impervious bags shall be used for collection of equipment (non disposable) requiring sterilization or cleaning.
2. Soaking - Any items which requires soaking should be done so for a minimum of 20 minutes in “slop sink” in each engine house.
3. If necessary, employees should shower at engine house, changing into clean uniform.
4. All contaminated disposable items should be placed into a red bio-hazard bag for later disposal by EMS BUREAU supply personnel.

ISOLATION TECHNIQUES

A. Category 1: Minimal Precautions

Disposable gloves ALL patient encounters.

Employees on duty will dress and bandage all open wounds of non-intact skin ie., burns, rashes, lacerations. This policy is to protect employees from potential exposures.

B. Category 2: Moderate Precautions

Gloves, protective eye wear, surgical masks, or combination face shield.

EXAMPLES

• * Tuberculosis (TB), and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Whooping Cough, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Chicken pox, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * German Measles, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Measles, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Suspected ri and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * HIV or Aids, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Hepititus A, B, C or D, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Pneumonia, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Cough of unknown origin, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * All advance airway care, or assisting ventilation and suctioning airway, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  * Establishing IV’S, 10’s and or dressing moderate bleeding, and apply a mask or oxygen via mask to patient.
  

C. Category 3: Advance Level Precautions

Disposable gloves, protective eye wear, masks, barrier gowns, or turnout coats.

EXAMPLES

• Child birth
• Arterial bleeds
• Incontinent patients
• Severe trauma
• Gl bleeds
• Infested patients (example: lice etc.)
• Haz Mat of radio active type A only

Exposure Incident

Whenever a member has an exposure incident from an infectious disease- causing agent, that member must complete and submit to the Medical Officer the Infectious Exposure/Contamination form.

1. An Exposure means, a specific contact to eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious material that result from the performance of an employee’s duties.

2. A Contamination means your uniform becomes saturated with potentially infectious body fluids. All members will immediately notify their supervisor and taken out of service until showered and/or uniform changed at their engine house. Therefore, all members will have a dean uniform on hand at their engine house—NO exceptions. Contaminated uniforms should then be placed in a biohazard bag and sent to the Quartermaster.