The majority of the Bloomington Fire Department has received COVID-19 vaccinations, following months of precautions such as limiting dispatchers at its scenes during the pandemic.
All BFD employees are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Indiana’s vaccine allocation plan. BFD Fire Chief Jason Moore said 61 members of the department out of 110, about 60%, have received at least their first dose so far.
First responders have been reported nationwide to be hesitant to receive the vaccine. At BFD, Moore said some are afraid to take a vaccine they fear may have been rushed.
“It’s how quickly the vaccine was developed, the fact that it is not a traditional vaccine,” he said.
Many of the firefighters who haven’t yet had the vaccine administered are waiting to see how it affects coworkers, Moore said.
“There will be some — that no matter what they witness themselves — may never believe in it, but I think what I’m seeing is the initial reactions was really played up by the media,” Moore said. “I think it’s just human nature to say we’re going to wait and see what goes on.”
Moore received the first dose of the vaccine in December and has since gotten his second dose. He said overall his experience went smoothly and effects were minimal.
“My first dose was soreness of the right arm,” he said. “My second dose, I did get significant body aches, but within 24 hours all symptoms subsided.”
Battalion Chief Neville Vaughan has also been vaccinated. He said he had heard stories of people being affected by the vaccine, but he felt no side effects at all.
1st class firefighter Jeremy Goad said he was more of a late recipient of the vaccine but received his first dose in early January. He said he developed a low-grade fever lasting less than a day.
Moore said he wants the public to trust the BFD despite reports that many of them have held off on the vaccine. The department trusts in science and public health officials, Moore said.
Despite some firefighters being wary about the vaccine, Moore said BFD is working hard to protect its firefighters and to prevent spreading infection to the community. He said the department has gone “above and beyond” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
“Knowing we had to keep doing our job, we trusted in the advice we were getting about the protective equipment needed, and we really went all the way to the extreme,” Moore said.
Goad tested positive for COVID-19 over the summer and was sick for about 11 days. In order to avoid bringing the virus home, he said there were four or five months where he didn’t get to see his teenage daughter.
The firefighters take extra precautions now, including cleaning and sanitizing the station, using individual bunks instead of traditional communal sleeping areas and taking temperatures regularly, Goad and Moore said.
Working in close proximity with the public means the firefighters must assess potential risk when dispatched to homes by sometimes limiting the number of first responders who interact directly with a patient or doing CPR in masks, Goad said.
Since the start of the pandemic, BFD has seen 12 positive cases of COVID-19, Moore said. There have been no fatalities or hospitalizations, and a generous sick leave policy has kept the BFD from major staffing issues.
“It’s been difficult on employees personally,” Moore said. “I’m really proud that the men and women in this department stepped up. They never stopped serving. They have been here for this community from the very beginning and will continue to be there for them.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misspelled Neville Vaughan’s name.
