The COVID-19 Crisis in Europe

This week, NFPA Journal editor Jesse Roman talks to Pieter Maes, a firefighter/EMT in Brussels, Belgium, about the extraordinary steps emergency responders in this European capitol are taking to prepare for the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has forced Maes' department to find creative solutions to many difficult questions related to the COVID-19 outbreak—the same challenges departments across the world are now facing. To help, Maes has created a website, covidfirstresponse.com, where responders everywhere can submit various strategies for how they are handling aspects of the crisis. This crowd-sourced material includes instructions for how to 3D print face masks, sewing patterns for homemade masks, scientifically-backed strategies for effectively decontaminating equipment, and much more.