How Montgomery County is trying to lighten the load of strained ERs

Montgomery County, Maryland, has a new way to help people who may have COVID-19 while preventing unnecessary trips to the emergency room. The county’s Fire and Rescue has formed what it calls “EMS strike teams.” They’re teams of two — an EMT and a paramedic — that respond to coronavirus-related 911 calls. When a team is sent to a home, they evaluate the patient’s condition, possibly in consultation with a doctor. “Certainly, if you have an emergency, you will go to the emergency room, and they have taken every precautions at the hospitals to segregate those that are sick,” said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer. But, if your condition is not considered life-threatening, the strike team will come up with a way to treat you so you can stay home.

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The new approach comes as the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb around the D.C. area, and hospitals brace for the very real possibility of becoming overwhelmed. As of Friday afternoon, there were more than 5,500 known coronavirus cases in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. “A lot of us are concerned about the situations with the hospitals. We are trying to avoid people having to go there,” Piringer said. The EMS strike teams are being deployed in SUVs where needed all around Montgomery County. Watch this report from Montgomery Community Media to learn more: