FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MOORHEAD, MN — The City of Moorhead is committed to providing Moorhead residents with both fire and police protection during the federal, state and local responses to the COVID-19 situation. Prior to COVID-19, the City of Moorhead and its fire department entered into numerous mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities to ensure that fire protection and emergency services would be provided to Moorhead residents even in situations in which the Moorhead Fire Department needed additional resources. The City of Moorhead confirms that there have been cases of COVID-19 diagnosed within the Fire Department in the past week. The City of Moorhead’s continuity of operations plan developed and implemented by the City recognizes the possibility of COVID-19 cases in any of our departments and prepared the City and its departments for this situation.
Prudent protocols are in place so that members of the public are not exposed to COVID 19. The City of Moorhead is confident that fire protection and emergency services to the community will continue to be provided safely, effectively, and efficiently without interruption. Fire Department staff teams were separated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reduce the chance that front line emergency workers would spread the infection to other teams and only one station is affected.
Upon receiving notice of COVID-19 testing for each affected employee, the city prohibited the employee from contacting other city employees and recommended to the employee that they isolate themselves for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended isolation period, or additional time as may be prescribed by a health care professional. All city employees identified as close contacts in the city workplace with the COVID-19 positively tested employees have already been notified.
The city has and will continue taking measures to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 among its employees and the public by implementing proactive administrative and engineering controls, and maintaining safe and healthy operations and work environment consistent with guidance from state and federal officials and agencies. In addition, the city will continue to collaborate and cooperate with federal, state, and local officials to prevent and slow the spread. The Minnesota Department of Health is the government entity with the primary responsibility to contain, mitigate, and manage COVID-19 for the public in the state.
Due to data privacy laws, the city cannot share any private health care information related to this matter about the employees.
Contact Person: Human Resources Director Amy Settergren
Telephone Number: 218.299.5371
Website address: cityofmoorhead.com
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