The Scott Fire Department has won a grant to buy UV sterlization wands and lamps.
Currently, Scott firefighters disinfect stations multiple times a day, and emergency units upon returning to the station from emergency incidents, in an effort to minimize the chances of firefighters from coming into contact with deadly bacteria, viruses and other harmful pathogens.
While conducting research on the best practices to protect firefighters and civilians, Scott Fire Department officials learned from reports published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that ultraviolet (UV) light lamps deactivate the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other harmful pathogens with a 99.9% sterilization rate, while remaining harmless to humans.
So they submitted a grant application to FEMA for 20 UV sterilization lamps and five UV sterilization wands. The lamps will be placed inside of high occupancy areas around our public safety complex, fire stations, City Hall and Council chambers. The wands will be used to decontaminate fire and police units and equipment after returning for emergency incidents, keyboards, phones, door handles, incoming mail, and other items which may pose a threat to emergency personnel.
SFD learned they won the grant on Friday.
"Through fire fighting or whether it be through law enforcement our job is to protect the citizens or keep them as safe as possible. [and] This just gives us another tool to protect the citizens in ways that you wouldn't traditionally think that fire or police do our jobs," says Fire Chief Chad Sonnier. "But this just gives an added benefit to not only us, as fire and police officers, and city hall but to the citizens of scott and give them a benefit"
The grant will provide Scott emergency responders, City Hall workers and civilians who attend meetings or conduct business at City Hall the equipment to stop the spread of bacteria, viruses and other harmful pathogens, officials say. It's "just another way of SFD protecting other employees and citizens of Scott," they say.
