COVID-19: Employee Safety and Protection

Provided here are resources and tips for campus police and public safety agency to keep agency personnel safe during the COVID-19 response. 

Officer Safety Precautions, offered by Dr. Danielle Walker, professor of public health and health sciences, Biola University, during IACLEA's COVID-19 Rapid Response Briefing Call, March 26, 2020

• Because most people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, assume everyone, including yourself, has the virus and practice universal precautions. 

• Officers with underlying conditions—diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, COPD, cancer—should not have contact with the public. 

• COVID-19 is not airborne, but is transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. 

• Protect your nose and mouth by wearing a mask and glasses or goggles for your eyes. 

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Or, use a gel-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Ensure that it remains wet on your hands for 15 seconds—don’t dry it off. 

• Wear fresh uniforms daily. 

• Because tests are in short supply, test only those with serious symptoms. 

• Use sanitizing wipes on officer equipment.

CDC: Resources for first responders and law enforcement

COVID-19: An 8-step response plan for police leaders Published on PoliceOne, by author James Dudley, a 32-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department. He is currently a member of the Criminal Justice faculty at San Francisco State University, consults on organizational assessments for LE agencies, and co-hosts the Policing Matters podcast for PoliceOne.

DEBRIEF: IACLEA COVID-19 Rapid Response Briefing Call, Officer Health and Safety, March 26, 2020. LISTEN TO THE BRIEFING CALL.

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Officer Wellness and Resiliency During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published April 15, 2020. This project was supported, in whole or in part, by cooperative agreement number 2017-CR-WX-K001 awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services as part of the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center. 

National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC) video, Personal Protective Equipment for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), an 18-minute video. VIEW HERE. 

Officer Mental Health/ Suicide Prevention Resources from Copline. Copline is a confidential resource that officers and their families can use for help and support 24/7/365. Approx. 50 officers have died by suicide this calendar year and with the current added stress of the job, those numbers are unfortunately anticipated to keep climbing. Copline has produced informational sheets listed her for Awareness and Outreach, An Officer's Hotline, and Signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

Staying Secure During COVID-19, produced by the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), United Kingdom. 

VALOR: Officer Safety and Wellness Clearinghouse