Washington firefighters worried about staffing shortage due to COVID-19
South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue firefighters respond to a construction accident. (South County Fire Twitter page)
Health care workers in Washington are already facing staffing shortages due to the COVID-19 crisis. Now, the state’s firefighters are worried about the same problem.
Working on the front lines every day means that firefighters frequently have to quarantine for COVID-19 exposure or symptoms. Those who are left at the fire station must work doubly hard to make up the difference.
“That’s creating a lot of holes to fill, because we have staffing requirements, and so people are being forced to work mandatory overtime,” explained Tim Hoover, a South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue firefighter and paramedic who sits on the board of the Washington State Council of Firefighters.