Five first responders with the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department will be among the first ones in the District to receive the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Germany’s BioNTech and Pfizer.
Doctors at Kaiser Permanente will administer the vaccine to the “The First Five” within days. Kaiser is expected to receive their initial doses on Wednesday, December 16.
“Today, we have hope. After a long and tragic nine months, help is finally on the way. The First Five are sending a strong message about the importance of this vaccine to protect them, their families and loved ones, their patients and coworkers, and our entire city,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a press release.
“Our frontline health care workers and emergency responders have led our community through this pandemic with courage and compassion, and now we are proud to deliver this vaccine to them. Finally, we can work together to end this pandemic. While we must stay vigilant during this nationwide surge in cases, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.”
“The First Five” consists of John Donnelly, acting Fire and EMS chief; Dr. Robert Holman, the department’s medical director; Lieutenants Joseph Papariello and Keishea Jackson; and firefighter/EMT Julio Quinteros. They all live in the District, according to the mayor’s office.
Donnelly, who joined DC Fire and EMS in 1992 at Truck 16, was nominated by Mayor Bowser in September this year to head the 2,100 member department. He also served at Rescue Squad 3, Tower 3, Battalion Fire Chief 2; as the Division Commander of Special Operations, Homeland Security, and Apparatus Division; and as a member of the Command Staff in Special Projects and Executive Officer Roles.
‘They each deserve to be one of the first’
“I am so proud of the work and dedication our members have displayed over the last nine months,” Donnelly was quoted as saying in Bowser’s release. “We have all been through a lot, and they each deserve to be one of the first in the District to get this vaccine.”
Dr. Holman, who started working for the Department in February 2016, said that the vaccine was a “game changer” for the members of DC Fire and EMS as they serve hundreds of people every day.
“The best strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic is through widespread vaccination, and we believe getting vaccinated will not only protect our members, but those we treat and compassionately care for every day,” said Holman.
The six sites that are planned to receive the District’s initial 6,825 vaccine doses are as follows:
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center
- Howard University Hospital
- The George Washington University Hospital
- Children’s National Hospital
- Kaiser Permanente
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
The hospitals are selected for having the cold storage required for safely keeping the vaccine.
For further details on the District’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccine.
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