Adams County Emergency Services Center Director Warren Bladen said the system is now at Level 3.
Level 3 is a “situational awareness posture where we gather information on COVID-19 and communicate with agencies such as the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the county’s first responder agencies, and the health care community,” said Bladen.
Adams County Emergency Services Center Director Warren Bladen: “If you want to show your appreciation for the work we do, stay home. I don’t want my system to be overwhelmed.”
Bladen said the county had been at Level 3 since March 13, and that he did not see a need to move to Level 2 which would involve explicit coordination across county agencies and municipalities.
“I don’t anticipate increasing the level, but I’m constantly reassessing that,” said Bladen.
Bladen said the major unmet need he identified early was the availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs), including masks, gloves, and gowns.
“We immediately made a request from PEMA for those resources,” said Bladen. “We received some supplies from PEMA on Friday. Those items were immediately distributed to local first responders, and we immediately made a request for more. We ask ahead of time to get the process rolling.”
“The supply chain for PPEs is intact but it is burdened. It takes a little bit longer to get supplies,” said Bladen.
“We’re working well with Wellspan. First responders have the equipment they need,” said Bladen
Bladen said the county is not currently conducting any further training or drills. “The exercises and drills have been going on for years. We’ve discussed this in detail in the past,” said Bladen. “Every EMS provider has education on dealing with infectious diseases.”
Bladen said EMS providers are continually being updated with information provided by the Emergency Health Services Federation (EHSF). “EHSF has been given the task by the Department of Health to act as the regional EMS office,” said Bladen.
“EHSF has done a great job sending out bulletins and updates keeping the EMS providers well informed on how to care for people,” said Bladen.
“I’m quite impressed with the generosity of Adams County,” said Bladen. “Businesses and individuals are saying “If you’re looking for this, this is where to find it.”
“Stay calm, stay home, stay safe. This will slow down the spread of the virus,” said Bladen. “I don’t want my system to be overwhelmed.”
Bladen praised the outstanding job the county’s 911 response staff is doing. “They are dedicated professional dispatchers who keep coming to work every day. I so much appreciate everything they are doing,” said Bladen.
“If you want to show your appreciation for the work we do, stay home,” said Bladen.
“I genuinely care about his community and it is my goal to look out for everyone. We are constantly assessing for unmet needs in the county,” said Bladen
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