NFPA responds to the coronavirus

EMERGENCY RESPONDERS

When tragic events unfold, it is our first responders that are on the front line, risking their own safety to help others.

NFPA has collaborated with other leading organizations to send letters to Vice President Pence, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and FEMA imploring government officials to provide the necessary resources for first responders on the front line of COVID-19. 

NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program, provides the minimum requirements for infection control programs to help identify and limit the potential of an infectious exposure to fire department members as well as other first responders during the performance of their assigned duties and within the responder working and living environment.

NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program, offers important and timely guidance for keeping first responders safe. In this episode of Learn Something New™ by NFPA Journal®, we examine four key takeaways from the standard.

Free resources

NFPA 1581 tip sheet*

While NFPA 1581 was written for fire departments, the guidance it contains is universally applicable for all responders and can be easily translated to fit any department’s needs. This tip sheet provides several key takeaways based on NFPA 1581 and guidance for EMS providers from the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC).

Download the tip sheet.

Infographic

Use this infographic, 5 key infection control takeaways from NFPA 1581 and CDC guidance for responders during COVID-19, on your website and social media.

Download the infographic

*You can also download this tip sheet in Spanish. (PDF)

Blog posts

• Dealing with COVID-19 on the Front Lines, Off the Beaten Path
• And, not surprisingly, first responders are responding to changes in a COVID-19 world.
• New NFPA Resource Designed to Help Responders Manage Infection Control Programs During COVID-19
• NFPA Policy Institute and Others Urge Government Officials to Prioritize Responder Access to PPE and COVID-19 Testing
• The Fire & Life Safety Policy Institute Weighs in On Low Levels of PPE for Responders During COVID-19 Times

From NFPA Journal®

• 'We're in Disaster Mode' - Will lessons from the pandemic change emergency response forever? 

Podcasts

Responder Safety in a Pandemic

NFPA Journal® Staff Writer Angelo Verzoni speaks to a number of fire service professionals and looks at the additional precautions that can be put in place to enhance the well-being of first responders.

Listen to the podcast

The COVID-19 Crisis in Europe

NFPA Journal® editor Jesse Roman talks to Pieter Maes, a firefighter/EMT in Brussels, Belgium, about the extraordinary steps emergency responders in this European capitol are taking to prepare for the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has forced Maes' department to find creative olutions to many difficult questions related to the COVID-19 outbreak—the same challenges departments across the world are now facing.

Listen to the podcast

Resources in other languages

• Arabic - Additional resources for civil defense, first responders and patients - Produced by Saudi Patient Safety Center and NFPA (PDF)