COVID-19 Updates – April 2, 2020

APRIL 2, 2020

MFSI has worked in collaboration with Maine EMS, Southern Maine Community College EMS Program, and the Maine Department of Labor / Bureau of Labor Standards to produce an informational flyer regarding the use of structural PPE and SCBA during known or potential SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 patient interactions by Fire Department-based Emergency Medical Service agencies. 

Of course, there is no definitive, perfect answer that can be applied across all possible scenarios and departments – but we hope these guidelines will serve as a valuable resource for you all.

The flyer can be accessed here: [view/download]

 


MARCH 24, 2020

Dear Maine Fire Service Community, 

As some of you may have already heard, the Town of Brunswick has declared a civil state of emergency, enacting a townwide shelter-in-place order in an effort to ‘flatten the curve’ when it comes to the spread of COVID-19.

This will have a significant impact on our team as we transition to working remotely rather than staffing our Brunswick office on a rotating basis. We will endeavor to continue our current levels of customer service and to maintain our response rate to all inquiries, but please be patient with our team as we do our best to navigate this disruption. 

We are in constant communication with the Maine Community College System and Southern Maine Community College administrations. In addition, we continue to monitor for updates and best practices from the CDC, and we are in contact with the Maine Emergency Management Agency to identify opportunities for collaboration, including using our physical campus as a shared resource for the state. 

For the time being, our Support Services division will continue to collect/transport training props and equipment. On March 30, we will be convening with the MCCS/SMCC administrations again to reassess the situation and make a determination on what our operations will look like in the coming weeks and months. We anticipate continued delays of in-person program deliveries, and we appreciate your patience and flexibility. 

Stay safe, and – whenever possible – stay home. We appreciate you all doing your part to help curb this unpredictable threat. 

Respectfully, 

MFSI Admin 

 


 

MARCH 16, 2020

Good Day Maine Fire Service Members,

We are in some uncertain times at this moment, and have no way of knowing what is coming next as this unpredictable situation unfolds. With that said, we at SMCC/MFSI have had to make very difficult decisions about our operations going forward. Please see the attached letter from the MFSI Administration.

We will be shutting down our field training operations for a period of two weeks effective 3/16/2020. This will allow us to continue monitoring the situation closely as we develop a long-term plan. Below are several major cancellations to note:

  • The Maine Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Professional Development Conference that is held in Newry in late March has been canceled.
  • The National Fire Academy has closed down all on-campus programs for a period of four weeks.
  • Many City and Town Fire Departments are limiting unauthorized people from entering their fire stations, and limiting the travel of their personnel.
  • Many Fire Fighter Programs are pausing for a period of time until we all have a better handle on things.
  • The Maine State Fire Officer Academy will continue on as planned all candidates are expected to continue their projects and on-line work. If any of them become ill, please email Program Manager Walter Morris so we are aware of the situation.

Our Brunswick office will remain open unless the college advises us differently; we will keep you all posted. In addition, our support service division will continue to support local training with the delivery of props and equipment.

We need your cooperation in the matter of requested equipment.  We will be continuing to deliver training props and equipment for now.  However, if you choose to cancel your use of these props, please email Support Services Manager Ray Bishop at rbishop@smccme.edu so that we can avoid unnecessary deliveries.

As our Governor noted last night in her press conference, we are strong people here in Maine. We have survived many natural disasters, wild fires, blizzards, hurricanes, floods, ice storms and more. We will manage this and move on with steadfast strength and determination.  Let’s take this time to look out for one another and rise to the highest potential possible.

Stay safe,

MFSI Admin