Historically, Upper Pine has allowed family members and friends to accompany a patient in the ambulance to the hospital. The fire district is now instructing firefighters and paramedics to discourage non-medical personnel from riding with patients. A parent of a minor child is exempt from this policy and may accompany the child.
This will help limit exposure of non-patients to contagions in a confined space and preserve the limited supply of personal protective equipment for emergency medical personnel.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, the fire district plans to resume normal procedures, which allow family and friends to ride in the ambulance with the patient.
