City reveals plan of action relevant to ongoing COVID-19 issues

With the coronavirus dominating most conversations and activities, it came as no surprise that Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory would take time to talk about the city’s plans and protocol relative to the virus.

“We’re doing several things with the city,” Dory told the City Council at its March meeting.

“We’ve posted information on our website, Facebook and the cable access channel. This information has come to us from the CDC (Center for Disease Control).”

City officials are also monitoring updates from the state and CDC, Dory said.

The city is also developing an in-house plan, also following CDC recommendations.

“Our initial phases,” the mayor said, “are primarily to ensure our staff follows their existing protocols. Dealing with individuals that are ill or present some sort of bio-hazards, meaning they’ll use gloves and masks and other things appropriate to the conditions.”

One place that change should come easily is the utility office at City Hall, where residents pay their water, sewer and trash bill.

“Utility customers need not come into the building,” Mayor Dory said, noting that the goal is to separate individuals. “We have a lot of senior citizens who like to pay us a visit, and we’re always happy to have them but given the current situation, we urge them to pay at the drive-up window (City Hall was formerly a bank).”

Payment can also be made online, via email or by regular mail.

Meanwhile, Councilman Dave Murray wondered what would happen if a firefighter came up sick.

“Does that mean the whole shift is out on quarantine?” Murray asked.

Quite likely, although there was never a direct answer. Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar did say that “most of the guys in the fire department have lots of days off).”

Fire Chief John Burgess had a monthly meeting with the Chiefs Association recently, Mayor Dory said.

“They talked about supporting each other across the county. It’s a process that quite frankly, we’ve raised those same questions internally.”

Chief Burgess was asked about responding to medical runs right now.

“The main equipment we’d be lacking would be the gowns and masks,” Burgess responded. “They are no where to be found at the present. We’re in a little bit different situation from Tom (Police Chief Sutherlin). We can put air packs on if we have to.

“The unknown is going to be going out on that patient and not knowing and we’re not geared up for it, and we get back and two days later we find out after the fact that we had a patient who did test positive. That’s where it’s going to totally hurt us on manpower right then.”

If something did happen, Chief Burgess said, “it could potentially shut down the whole fire department.”

Central dispatch, he said, has been asking additional questions lately, including “’Have you traveled lately?’ ‘Do you have these symptoms?’ and so on.” Then when they dispatch us, we know what we’re walking into.”

Sutherlin, meanwhile, said he’s met with the sheriff and the hospital about their protocols in dealing with potentially infected prisoners.

“How do we go about bringing the individual into the hospital along with protecting our staff?” Sutherlin asked.” We know we’re going to have to disinfect it inside and out. There’s a lot of questions our staff are asking us that we need to get answers for.”