NVFC Testifies on Ebola Readiness to Senate Committee

November 13, 2014

The NVFC, along with other national fire service organizations, submitted joint testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which on November 12 held a hearing on the federal government’s response to the recent Ebola outbreak in the United States and West Africa.

The testimony notes that while the President’s recent emergency supplemental appropriations request includes funds for the purchase of PPE for hospitals, it does not direct any funding specifically to fire and EMS agencies. It goes on to say that any supplemental appropriations must include a clear directive and mechanism to fund emergency first responder preparedness. Click here to read the full testimony.

Since March 25, when the World Health Organization first announced that the Ministry of Health of Guinea had reported an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, there have been a total of 13,268 cases worldwide, including 8,168 that have been laboratory-confirmed, that have caused 4,960 deaths as of November 7. Most of the cases have been in West Africa.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established an Ebola Virus Disease webpage with information for healthcare workers, including:

• Interim Guidance: EMS Systems & 9-1-1 PSAPs: Management of Patients in the U.S. (Updated October 28)
• Detailed EMS Checklist for Ebola Preparedness
• Checklist for Patients Being Evaluated for EVD in the U.S.
• Facts about Ebola in the U.S. Infographic
• Recommendations on Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment for First Responders against Ebola Exposure Hazards (Issued October 24)