Two hundred Burbank Unified teachers and staff and ninety members of the Burbank Police Department received their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a City of Burbank clinic on Wednesday afternoon, March 3.
Burbank Fire Department paramedics partnered with BUSD school nurses to administer the shots. City officials coordinated the ongoing effort, utilizing the Burbank Town Center’s currently empty building at 600 N. San Fernando Boulevard.
Burbank Unified School District teachers and staff were vaccinated from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and members of the BPD were vaccinated from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Burbank Fire Department personnel have already received their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on earlier dates, explained Battalion Chief and Public Information Officer Mark Hatch.
“The Fire Department Command Staff, FD Nurse Educator, and our Emergency Management Coordinator have worked tirelessly with the Department of Public Health, L.A. County Department of Health Services within the State, Federal and CDC guidelines to procure vaccine doses for FD, BPD, BUSD and City Employees,” commented Hatch. “We have completed the Fire Department vaccinations and began to work on the rest of the City Family.”
The Fire Department “was able to take possession of sufficient doses to vaccinate BPD personnel who volunteered to be vaccinated or had not already received the vaccine,” he continued. “Two hundred doses were delivered for BUSD to allow us to begin voluntary vaccination of their personnel. We will continue to vaccinate BUSD staff as doses become available.”
“A natural partnership was formed with FD, PD, and BUSD to facilitate a vaccine clinic to accomplish our mutual goals while drawing on personnel and talents from each entity,” Hatch added. “The Fire Department provided the Incident Action Plan, facilitation, supervision and oversight. The BUSD provided school nurses to administer the doses along with administrative staff. BPD provided personnel to staff positions within the clinic to allow for a successful operation.”
“We would like to thank the management of the Burbank Town Center Mall for their partnership in donating the vacant facility for our vaccine clinic,” Hatch also said. “This was a tremendous partnership from our City Family to come together and coordinate this incredibly successful operation. Remember this is just the first dose of an initial group. This is a large undertaking that we are intent on completing over time. We look forward to moving forward with more vaccinations as doses come available.”
Hatch noted that approximately 70% of Burbank Fire Department personnel have already been vaccinated.
“This clinic was intended to provide the vaccine for all employees/volunteers who desired to receive the vaccine,” commented Burbank Police Department Public Information Officer Sergeant Emil Brimway. “Some employees/volunteers were able to receive the vaccine from the Burbank Fire Department and elsewhere prior to this point. We had a total of 285 potential employees/volunteers for the vaccine.”
Brimway noted that 165 Burbank Police Department employees and volunteers have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, approximately 58% of the department.
“The Burbank Police Department is very thankful to the Burbank Fire Department and the BUSD nursing staff who helped make this possible,” he also said.
Now that Los Angeles County has entered Phase 1B, educators, childcare workers, police, firefighters and other emergency services workers, along with food and agriculture workers are eligible to receive the vaccine and may make appointments for the shots.
“We encourage all employees to secure appointments as soon as possible from any available location,” commented Burbank Unified Superintendent Matt Hill, ahead of the clinic on Wednesday. “So far, over 600 employees have secured their initial dose, in addition to the 200 that we will vaccinate today. Employees will receive their second dose appointment after they receive the first dose today and it will be administered the same way.”
Burbank Unified employs approximately 1800 teachers and staff.
“We have also been partnering with Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center and Eisner Health to share available appointments with district employees,” Hill continued. “District employees can also search for appointments through MyTurn.ca.gov, the health provider, and local pharmacies.”
Dr. Roberta Reynolds, a former Board of Education member who served from 2007-2020, “shared with us appointment slots for educators at Hollywood Presbyterian,” he explained. “This is separate from the 200 doses we administered at the clinic. We are so grateful that she reached out to us, because it is allowing us to vaccinate our employees faster.”
“I want to thank the BUSD team and nurses for their around-the-clock work on this important initiative,” Hill also said. “We are also greatly appreciative of the partnership with BFD and the City of Burbank.”
“I can’t wait to receive my vaccine after all of our employees have had an opportunity to receive theirs,” Hill added. “This is a major step forward to keep our employees safe and return students to campus.”
