Municipalities Lean on Cataldo for COVID Testing

Cataldo has been doing a lot more than answering 911 calls and deploying ambulances across the 20 municipalities it serves as a primary emergency resource. These days, the relationship extends beyond emergency response to ongoing COVID testing as part of the municipal public health,  wellness and safety initiatives. “We are partners in the health and wellbeing of the residents in the communities we serve.” says Dennis Cataldo. “When our municipalities need support we are there.”

Overall call volumes for Cataldo have decreased in the last several weeks across all communities, likely a result of people staying at home, heeding isolation orders.

Ambulance transports continue parallel to local testing efforts. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn to protect crews on the ambulance and at testing sites. Since the start of the pandemic, crews have followed safety protocols while on base or with patients. Employees take their tem­perature and fill out a form about whether or not they are ex­periencing symptoms, each day when they arrive at work. When crews respond to calls, they carry substantial PPE in the vehicle. That PPE includes gloves, masks, full face shields, full gowns and N95 masks.

“It’s mostly the same as what you might see being worn in hospitals and health care environments, and that is what we’re going out into the field with in order to have safe patient contact,” says Ron Quaranto, EVPO.

One of the overarching worries for ambulance com­panies, public safety officials and health care workers is what would happen if large numbers of their staff test positive – resulting in the quarantine of many others on the staff that have had contact with them. In such a case, there is concern that a shortage of first responders, including ambulance per­sonnel, could suddenly be in short supply.

“That’s a concern on the minds of everyone in health care right now,” says Quaranto, “Which is why it is so crucial we all follow the protocols including mask wearing at all times.”

Like most all providers, Cataldo said the public can help his ambulance com­panies by practicing social distancing and staying out of public gatherings. A surge of patient calls could expose ambulance workers and overwhelm the entire sys­tem.

Cataldo Ambulance has between 80 to 90 ambulances operating every day in 20 communities.

 

 

Cataldo Ambulance Service