It’s not likely Ebola would show up in Orange County, but Emergency Services Director Jim Groves wants to be sure everyone on his staff is prepared, just in case.

New screenings are being put in place, starting with the information collected by 911 dispatch operators. Using what’s known as the Emergent Infectious Disease Surveillance tool, dispatchers will question callers about their travel history depending on the symptoms the callers report.

“What we’re trying to do there is not ask every single person that calls 911, ‘have you been traveling?’, but more specifically, when they present certain signs and symptoms we want to be able to narrow that down before we ever dispatch a responder out there, just to prevent any potential spread of an infectious disease.”

Groves says medical personnel will respond to calls as usual, but as a precaution, they’ll add a second round of questioning to patient interviews.

“Have [patients] truly been traveling to one of these suspect countries in West Africa? And if that is the case, have they potentially had the opportunity to come in contact with someone [with Ebola]? If anything indicates a positive answer on that, then our people will don appropriate personal protective equipment to be able to handle that patient,” says Groves.

Next week, Groves will meet with all stakeholders, including firefighters, public health workers, law enforcement officers and hospital staff to coordinate the way they will respond to calls that might potentially involve Ebola infection.

“We’re being as proactive as we can. We’re not going to limit our response to take care of the public,” says Groves. “Everything that we’re doing here is just to be prepared in case anything does happen here that we already have a plan, an agreement and a policy in place that we can handle this effectively.”

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has set up a website to help answer questions about Ebola: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/ebola.

The Carolinas Poison Center has also set up a public information hotline: 1-800-222-1222

Related Stories
‹
Chatham County 911 Operator Helps a Woman Give Birth at Home
After entering labor, Chatham County's Sarah Gianni called 911 and was helped by operator Lorie Teague. Now they've met for the first time.
With Renovations Ahead, UNC Shares Plans for Wilson Library's Closure
Wilson Library, which is UNC’s oldest library on campus, is set to close for multiple years as its emergency systems are updated.
UNC to Get Infectious Disease Treatment Designation
University of North Carolina hospitals will soon be designated as a treatment center for patients with highly infectious diseases in the region.
On Air Today: Kirby Saunders on 9/11 Remembrance
Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell to discuss the upcoming 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. He shares his personal experience responding to the aftermath, as well as the lasting impact it's had on his life and emergency responders everywhere.
UNC Professor & Video Journalist Jim Kitchen Visits the West Point Slums in Liberia
The West Point slums in Liberia served as the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak that occurred from 2014-16. The outbreak was devastating for the country, in part due to the lack of doctors available. The country’s health care program was also severely damaged by a civil war that ended in 2003.
WCHL's 2014 Year In Review
It's our annual Year In Review! What were the top news stories - and who were the top newsmakers - of 2014?
Be Prepared: OC Hosts Emergency Response Training
Orange County Emergency Services invites you to become part of CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team.
UNC Info Project Now Fighting Ebola In Africa
It's called the WiderNet Project, and its creator is finding new ways to make it valuable.
UNC Bans Student Travel To 3 West African Countries Hit by Ebola
UNC officials on Wednesday announced that students are now prohibited from visiting three countries affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Common Science Grab Bag
Generally speaking, I stick to one topic per week, but at the moment there are a number of items which are laying claim to my attention, none of which seem to call for stand alone treatment. So please enjoy my first-ever Common Science grab bag column: Ebola I have been intentionally and steadfastly avoiding writing […]
›