By Elizabeth Zavala
The San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Fire Department unveiled Thursday an Ebola-ready ambulance, the inside completely covered in protective plastic, and reassured the public that the Alamo City is safe and prepared should the deadly disease come here.
“My highest priority is the public safety of the community,” said Mayor Ivy Taylor, who added she has complete confidence in Fire Chief Charles Hood and his team that is tasked with evaluating people for Ebola.
Earlier this month, the department created an Ebola Task Force to address the potential spread of the deadly disease after a Liberian man traveled to Dallas and died there Oct. 8 from Ebola. Two nurses who had worked on his case tested positive, but after treatment they now are in good condition.
The city’s public health department, the Fire Department and San Antonio’s four major hospital systems have all said they are prepared and equipped to handle any potential case of Ebola.
Hood said here in San Antonio, the screening process begins “the moment someone calls,” and they will be questioned about symptoms and whether they have traveled to West Africa within the last 30 days.
The first responders will ask the person to step back so that they can do an evaluation by voice. Hood said it is necessary to keep some distance because someone can become infected from three feet away.
The renovated ambulances are completely covered inside with protective plastic and have been stripped of equipment. Should someone be infected with Ebola, the protective gear inside the unit will be discarded and the equipment decontaminated, Hood said.
Since San Antonio began the new protocols, crews have had three responses, and none of the patients met the criteria for infection, Hood said.
Dr. Anil Mangla, assistant director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, urged caution and understanding. He said people are contagious when they are symptomatic. The disease is not airborne and only can be contracted by coming into contact with bodily fluids, he added.
“In the U.S., we have one case and the other two being high-risk cases — nurses that cared for the victim,” he said. “There should be no fear. We should be fine.”
Hood said one of the new transport units will be kept at Fire Station 1 near downtown, and the other will remain at Fire Station 34, near the University of Texas at San Antonio.
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©2014 the San Antonio Express-News