Emergency Medical Services Personnel Awareness and Training about Personal Protective Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: With the emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), appropriate training for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel on personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential. We aimed: 1) to examine the change in proportions of EMS personnel reporting awareness of and training in PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 2) to determine factors associated with reporting these outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from October 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 from currently working, nationally certified EMS personnel (n = 15,339), assessing N95 respirator fit testing; training in air purified respirators (APR) or powered APR (PAPR) use; and training on PPE use for chemical, biological, and nuclear (CBN) threats. We used an interrupted time series analysis to determine changes in proportions of EMS personnel reporting training per week, using the date of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) initial EMS guidance (February 6, 2020) as the interruption. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to understand factors associated with each outcome. Results: We found high awareness of N95 respirators (99%) and APR/PAPR (91%), but only 61% reported N95 fit testing and 64% reported training on PPE for CBN threats in the prior 12 months. There was a significant, positive slope change after CDC guidance for N95 respirator fit testing, and significant post-interruption mean increases for fit testing (0.9%, 95% CI 0.6–1.1%), APR/PAPR training (0.3%, 95% CI 0.2–0.5%), and PPE for CBN threats training (0.6%, 95% CI 0.3–0.9%). Factors consistently associated with lower odds of awareness/training included part-time employment, providing 9-1-1 response service, working at a non-fire-based EMS agency, and working in a rural setting. Conclusions: CDC guidance on COVID-19 for EMS may have increased N95 fit testing and training, but there remain substantial gaps in training on PPE use among EMS personnel. As the pandemic continues in our communities, EMS agencies should be supported in efforts to adequately prepare their staff.