Number Of Tulsa First Responders In Quarantine Trending Down

The City of Tulsa said fewer first responders are currently in quarantine when compared to the beginning of the pandemic.

As of Thursday, there were 56 Tulsa first responders in quarantine because they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive, Tulsa Police and the Tulsa Fire Department said.

The risk of COVID-19 exposure for Tulsa first responders is still a factor, but Tulsa Officer Jeanne Pierce said the number of officers in quarantine is trending down. 

“In the last several weeks maybe even months we’ve had lower numbers. We’ve had less exposures again we attribute that to when we’re in the building and when we’re in squad meetings and we’re on certain calls," said Pierce. 

Pierce said out of more than 800 police officers, 31 Tulsa officers are in quarantine. She said the officers in quarantine work in different divisions across the city. She said they pull officers from across the city to fill in the gaps. 

“We have to have a certain number of officers per squad, per shift and as long as we have those numbers, then we’re doing what we need to be doing," said Pierce. 

Andy Little with the Tulsa Fire Department said out of 700 firefighters, 25 of them are currently in quarantine.

“We are consistently exposed to risks so we have to take all these exposures seriously and try to keep our team safe. While one firefighter quarantined doesn’t really affect our operations an entire station quarantine does significantly impact our operations," said Little. 

He said 58 Tulsa firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 since March. 255 Tulsa firefighters have tested negative since March. The city said they want to keep fire responders healthy while they are out working in the community. 

“Just as we learn more if people aren’t experiencing symptoms, if they haven’t had a temperature, if they test negative. There are so many factors to consider," said Little. 

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said ten employees are currently in quarantine. One of those employees is a deputy.