Emergency responders prepare for hurricane season amid pandemic

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Hurricane season begins June 1, and while San Antonio is not in the direct path of hurricanes, they can spawn tornadoes and cause flooding in our area.

San Antonio also opens shelters for coastal area residents fleeing from the storms.

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told city council that this hurricane season brings new challenges in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   A training session Tuesday focused on both.

“Social distancing is going to be a challenge for us as far as what we do in the future in sheltering people,” said Hood.

As the department’s  MIH, or Medical Integrated Healthcare program becomes more essential in the fight against coronavirus, he said he hopes to train 100 personnel in the department in the area of community paramedicine and testing.  They’ve been working hand-in-hand with San Antonio Metro Health to conduct COVID-19 tests and set up mobile testing sites.

He said as the pandemic continues, they’ll also need more sonograms for EMS units.

“We can go out and actually scan a person’s lungs.  We can figure out if there’s fluid in their lungs and that’s going to help us in deciding whether to treat them or transport them,” Hood said.