The interventions of the rescue teams have increased while the emergency hotline 112 has to handle the rising number of calls from people who have questions related to the coronavirus.
The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) has nevertheless adapted its organisation in order to continue to intervene to the best of its abilities.
Prior to any intervention involving the transport of a Covid-19 patient, the paramedic seated in the back of the ambulance must put on a Tyvek suit, which they will carefully remove on the return journey. Afterwards, the personnel and the vehicle are disinfected. This is a cumbersome procedure: the ambulance is out of service for at least two hours.
The operation centres in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg City, and Ettelbruck have such a disinfection station. In Esch, there were an average of 2.5 disinfections per day in October, compared to 3.8 in April.
Currently, the CGDIS carries out an average of 180 interventions per day. This represents 40 additional daily interventions compared to last year, according to Minister for Home Affairs Taina Bofferding.
21 professional firefighters are currently isolated due to a positive test and about 20 are in quarantine. While the situation is currently still manageable, those responsible are already taking precautions to increase the number of personnel within the teams or with more volunteers.
The 112 offices are also under great strain. Under normal circumstances, it already records 1,100 calls per day. At the moment, many people are calling with questions related to Covid-19. However, this is precisely what should not be done. Minister Taina Bofferding stressed that people should only call 112 in the case of an emergency.
During the lockdown, CGDIS interventions decreased by 10 to 15%, mainly due to the drop in road traffic. On the other hand, domestic accidents increased during this period.
The report by Mariette Zenners at the operation centre in Esch-sur-Alzette (in Luxembourgish):
