Long Beach Fire Department
Fire Response to Winter Surge of Omicron Variant … More Than Fighting Fires 1 Fire Department Omicron Overview
2 December 22nd – January 26th
• 201 Positive Employees (up to 100 in isolation at our peak) • 4 Hospitalized
• Daily “force-hiring” required to adequately staff
the department (FCMs)
• Apparatus closures and understaffed apparatus during
the height of isolations
Call Volume Through Outbreak
3 1997 average: 142 emergency incidents a day (w/ E101, E23, and E18 in service) Ave: 190 emergency incidents a day
52,000 vs. 72,000
COVID Incidents and Transport Info.
4 Last 7 days…
5 Omicron
6 December – 1st
Four states in the U.S. have identified cases of the Coronavirus “Omicron Variant” California
Minnesota
New York
Colorado
Overview…
7 Early December
• Outbreak at Fire Station 11
• Long Beach Firefighter
admitted to Saint Joseph
Hospital
• Kronos (Ransomware)
Overview
8 Mid December
• Unavailable for Mutual Aid
• Multiple swiftwater rescue
incidents in the city
• 168 total COVID positive
personnel and only 3 in isolation
• Constantly prepping for the
worst
Overview
9 Beginning of the surge…
• Multiple positives and exposures
in all ranks (48 positive, 38 FCMs)
• Utilized staffing alternatives
• LAAFCA reports record numbers
of positive personnel (majority
fully vaccinated with minor to no
symptoms)
• 120 hours approved, but no
“forced-hiring” beyond 72 hours
Overview
10 More changes…
• CDC changes isolation period from 10 days to 5 days if asymptomatic (not implemented until a later date)
• Daily testing implemented
• Test kits distributed to fire stations
Peak of the Surge
11 December – 29th
• 76 in isolation (29 FCMs)
• Paramedic interns re-assigned to firefighter positions to fill vacancies
• Significant staffing shortages
• Manually staffed the department with “floor personnel” December – 30th
• 92 in isolation (32 FCMs)
• Starting “force-hiring” into 96 hours
• Apparatus closures
• 50 FCMs on the 31st
January – 2nd
• 95 in isolation (25 FCMs)
• Fire attempting to adopt the 5-day asymptomatic directive • City Manager sends out “alert email” to inform departments of COVID impacts on fire and public works
Overview
12 Beginning of the New Year
• 100 in isolation (average of 30 FCMs a day)
• 3 Personnel admitted to the Hospital
• Closures and multiple units short staffed
• 4 Firefighter/Paramedics submitted resignation papers • 5-day isolation for asymptomatic implemented (Jan. 5)
Overview
13 Finally, some relief…
• Isolations drop in the low 70 (average of 25
FCMs a day)
• Last day for daily testing
• 5th Firefighter/Paramedic submits
resignation papers
• CDPH temporary adjustment to the return-
to-work criteria due to critical staffing
shortages (Jan. 8 to Feb. 1)
Timeline…
14 Mid January
• Force-hiring into 96 hours discontinued
• Vaccine clinic at Fire Headquarters
• Significant drop in FCMs
• January 25th “No new positives”…finally
• APODs still a major issue
Ambulance Patient Offload Delay (APOD)
15 Wall Times…
16 • “Wall time” - Ambulance
personnel waiting at the
hospital to offload their
patient
• Paramedic Rescue transports
combined with EMT
Ambulances transports
Wall Time…Hours (hh:mm)
17 Summary…
18 • Major effect on morale
• Anticipating more resignations
• Greater number of personnel seeking
counseling
• Staffing program back online
• All hospitalized employees doing well
and back to work
• Despite all the challenges, our
personnel continue to completed the
mission of the department and go
above and beyond what is asked of
them
Thank you!
Jeff Hardin
Deputy Chief
Operations Bureau
19