Public Safety Departments Fully Operational and Responding
Laguna Beach Public Safety Departments Fully Operational and Responding to All Calls
City of Laguna Beach, March 26, 2020, Media Release
Laguna Beach, CA – The City of Laguna Beach wants the community to know that its Police, Fire, and Marine Safety Departments remain fully operational and are responding to all calls as normal. We are vigilant in our response to COVID-19, and committed to ensuring the safety of our community and visitors.
Centers for Disease Control’s Steps to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 if You Are Sick
Stay in touch with your doctor. Call your doctor before you get medical care. If you do not have a doctor call the Orange County Health Care Agency COVID-19 Health Referral Hotline: 1(800) 564-8448. They will help you find an urgent care clinic or drive through testing facility in your area.
Stay at home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and are able to recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
Call 911 only if you have a medical emergency and have emergency warning signs, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, experienced periods of unconsciousness, and /or have any symptoms that make you believe it is more than a severe form of the flu/cold. If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the dispatcher that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.
Our First Responders Out in the Community
Our first responders are wearing additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when responding to all 911 calls. This equipment consists of gloves, masks, gowns and goggles. Please do not be alarmed by our response and our level of Personal Protective Equipment. It’s precautionary to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to keep our community safe and healthy.
Firefighters will continue to respond to the highest priority medical calls, whether they are potential COVID-19 calls or not. If you see us entering a residence or business in full protective equipment, this does not mean that the caller has COVID-19, it only means that we are taking precautionary efforts.
All Laguna Beach Fire Department Emergency Responders have received the following training:
The use of additional Personal Protective Equipment – all City first responders and each Fire Department unit have CDC recommended Personal Protective Equipment, are trained in its use and are following all recommended protocols
Triage training and treatment of Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19, and protocol for sharing COVID-19 notifications with our County partner agencies
Training on new policies to ensure that industry best practices are being taken in regards to ambulance isolation protection and ambulance decontamination after each use
“The Laguna Beach Fire Department is dedicated to saving lives, protecting the public and slowing the spread of this virus,” said Laguna Beach Fire Chief Mike Garcia. “We are taking the necessary steps to protect the public and our crews as we manage the effects of COVID-19. We urge the public to follow local, county, state and the CDC’s guidelines for social distancing and best practices to help stop the spread of this virus.”
“I want our community to know that their Police Department is there for them during this time, and is providing all essential services, while taking the necessary precautions,” said Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella. “If you are in need of police services please call. Patrol officers and field personnel will be conducting high visibility patrols to ensure our presence provides a level of safety and security.”
“Our primary concern is the health, safety and well-being of our residents and visitors,” said Laguna Beach Chief of Marine Safety Kevin Snow.
As the COVID-19 situations develops, we expect some of our first responders may be exposed to the virus and need to be tested for the virus and self-quarantine. The Laguna Beach Police, Fire and Marine Safety Departments have back-up staffing in place in anticipation this may happen.
For more information, contact Firefighter Engineer Paramedic Pat Cary at (949) 497-0700 or email at pcary@lagunabeachcity.net.
We are sending out regular COVID-19 Updates for the community through Laguna Beach’s Nixle Community Alert system. To sign up, simply text 92651 to 888-777.
