Ottawa Fire Chief Andy Borkowski says the city’s ambulance users are not believed to have had contact with the fire fighter sick with COVID-19 while he could have transmitted it. Borkowski says the man was last assigned to a fire engine when he was at work, so he wouldn’t have been on an ambulance crew. He was last at work last Tuesday.
As for how the fire department found out last week, Borkowski says the fire fighter’s roommate works at a place where there’s been coronavirus exposure. So the fire fighter got tested and it came back positive.
Borkowski says six fire fighters on the same shift are also off work, although they’ve all tested negative for the virus. Another fire fighter who worked overtime during that shift has also been tested. He says the COVID-positive member has mild symptoms.
Other fire fighters are covering for the shift that’s off work. Borkowski says the city hasn’t had to cut ambulance or fire protection in the meantime.
Borkowski was on WCMY’s Morning Mix show with Maggie Frost Thursday.