Burbank Firefighters Receive Vaccine, Police Officers Still Waiting for County Health

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(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank firefighters and paramedics have now completed their second round doses of the COVIDF-19 vaccine while police officers are still waiting for their chance to obtain the vaccine. Their first dose was administered the week of December 28, 2020 and the second doses were administered by February 4, 2021.

According to Battalion Chief Mark Hatch of the Burbank Fire Department, 70% of firefighting personal volunteered to take the two Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots. He did not say if the department was making the taking of the vaccine mandatory or if the 30% who did not receive shots now will have another opportunity.

On the other side, Burbank Police Sgt. Emil Brimway said that the police department is still waiting for County Health to make it available to officers, “The police department does have a program set up in regards to receiving the vaccine and is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health”.

Once the vaccine is available, paramedics have been trained on administering the shots.

A release by the fire department said, “With oversight from the Burbank Fire Department’s Medical Director, Dr. Steve Rottman, M.D., Burbank Fire Department’s Nurse Educator, Britney Alton, R.N., developed the training curriculum in coordination with the LA County Department of Health Services so that the Burbank paramedics may safely administer the vaccine directly at the Burbank Fire Department Training Facility.”

It also went on to say, “Completing both rounds of the Moderna vaccine is an important milestone for the Burbank Fire Department and will provide our firefighters and paramedics an added layer of protection to better care and serve our community,” said Fire Chief Eric Garcia.”

For more information and to find out when you can receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/vaccine/index.htm

    1 COMMENT

    1. This is disturbing.

      The Burbank Police Department works 24/7/365 to protect us. The
      Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) is directly engaged with the unsheltered homeless and these frontline officers and those on beats interact with the public day in and day out. The County should have already offered these officers the vaccine.

      This is a shameful oversight.

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