City of Albemarle Fire Department issued the following announcement on Jul. 20.
This morning a news briefing was held regarding the COVID outbreak within our Fire Department. The purpose of the briefing today was to provide an update and to reassure the public that fire and emergency services will continue. The agencies represented included – City of Albemarle, Office of State Fire Marshal, and Stanly County Health Department.
At the peak, we had 10 firefighters impacted with COVID. 1 individual has been cleared to return to work. We potentially have several more being cleared in the next few days. While this is good news, there are still difficult challenges.
As a result of the hard-working and dedicated staff, at no point have we not been able to provide coverage from all three City stations. However, like any situation, there is a limit to what we can do. Fortunately, through our current relationships with other nearby agencies, including Kannapolis and Concord, we have been able to secure their assistance, just as we have provided assistance to them in the past. The Office of the State Fire Marshal has supported our call for assistance as well. As a result, we have help in place to provide full staffing coverage for the entire City through the shift ending at 8:00 o’clock Monday morning. Our staff will be off during this time to allow for a break for their mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Thanks to everyone for your support of the Albemarle Fire Department. Please continue to keep everyone in your thoughts as we face the challenges of COVID.
Original source can be found here.
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