EASTHAMPTON — Every day last week, city firefighter/paramedics worked alongside school nurses and staff to administer and process COVID-19 testing.
The collaboration between the Fire Department and the school district is part of a new partnership established in response to the projected peak of the omicron variant over the next few weeks, according to Fire Chief Christopher Norris.
“At this critical time during the pandemic, the Easthampton Fire Department knows the constraints and challenges that COVID-19 has placed on the limited school health care personnel. We have partnered with the nurses during many of the vaccine clinics. The fire department is happy to continue this relationship with COVID-19 testing to ensure the highest level of safety for students, staff and community,” he said.
Throughout the week, the Fire Department sent two firefighter/paramedics to Mountain View and Easthampton High schools to assist with daily COVID-19 testing and triaging any other ailments among the student population, Norris said. The demand for testing in the district with the recent surge of positive cases of COVID-19 is stretching the nursing staff thin.
Easthampton High School Principal Williams Evans offered gratitude for the assistance.
“It’s been very helpful to have them here,” Evans said. “Hopefully this recent surge will subside.” The assistance is expected to continue over the next few weeks.
The Holyoke Public School District also recently established a similar testing partnership with a private ambulance service.
“The Easthampton Fire Department has been wonderful to collaborate with on this endeavor,” School Superintendent Allison LeClair said in a statement. “They are very supportive of our school district and in addition to helping us at school every day, they have also been instrumental in working with us on vaccine clinics held at our schools.”
The city Health Department is partnering with the Fire Department again as well as the Northampton Health Department and the schools to host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Mountain View School, at 200 Park St. Appointments are available for those 12 and older from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and for those between the ages of 5 and 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
The clinic will have Pfizer and Moderna first and second doses, along with boosters, available. A second dose clinic will be held on Wednesday, March 9. This clinic is open to the public.
To register, visit home.color.com/vaccine/register/northampton. For additional assistance, contact the Easthampton Health Department at 413-529-1430.
