Unvaccinated firefighters may have to wear masks with Department of Fire and Emergency Services COVID policy

Firefighters and emergency services volunteers who are not vaccinated may be forced to wear a mask under a tough new COVID-19 policy. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services will introduce an Infection Prevention Policy on December 1 aimed at encouraging staff and personnel to have at least one COVID-19 jab ahead of the busy bushfire and cyclone seasons. It means those who aren’t vaccinated may be required to wear a mask on duty, or have regular testing for the virus. Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said yesterday the tough new rules were vital to keeping WA communities safe. “The situation on the east coast has made it clear that the Delta variant is a genuine threat to our ability to maintain community safety, despite the strength of our controlled borders,” Commissioner Klemm said. “For that reason, it is absolutely critical that emergency services staff and volunteers are fully vaccinated or taking extra precautions to reduce the possibility of infection and transmission. “We cannot risk having a situation where we are unable to provide an emergency response to parts of the community when disaster strikes.” The DFES works with other government agencies to respond to emergencies including fires, cyclones and floods. It comprises 1250 career firefighters. The number of career and volunteer firefighters is in the thousands. Commissioner Klemm said the finer details of how the policy would be applied, particularly in firefighting, were still being worked out. The new jab rules for DFES personnel follow the introduction of a similar policy for WA Police officers and staff. Vaccinations will be mandatory for healthcare workers from December and the WA Government is also considering making jabs compulsory for miners.