Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Dozens of First Responders Get COVID Vaccinations at Fairgrounds
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
December 29, 2020

Share

Dozens of first responders received COVID vaccinations at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Tuesday.

American Ambulance employees rolled up their sleeves as part of a coordinated effort to get front-line workers protected against the deadly virus. The service will continue next week for firefighters and other first responders until everyone who wants a shot gets one.

The Fresno County health department partnered with American Ambulance and the Big Fresno Fair to give EMT and paramedics their shots in the name of public safety.

Dan Lynch, the county’s emergency services director, anticipates that the public will also be able to receive shots at the same location when wider vaccination efforts begin.

“This is a pretty efficient operation they’ve got here and we can move a lot of people through it,” Lynch said.

A box containing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. (GV Wire/David Taub)

EMTs Get a Shot for Safety

“I would hate to be the one to spread it to someone’s loved one. So I’d like to do my part at least.”EMT Chris Tillman

Edward Escobedo, American Ambulance’s operation director, said his company’s crews average more than 30 COVID calls a day.

“There is a sense of safety and a sense of hope that we can continue to do this job, which we’ve been doing for months through this pandemic, with a sense of security,” Escobedo said.

While Escobedo encouraged all American Ambulance employees to get vaccinated, he said it is not mandated.

Front-line first responders signed up online for appointments.

Joshua Brown and Chris Tillman were two of about 300 American Ambulance EMTs scheduled to receive shots this week.

I see what COVID does to people and see what it’s done to the world,” Brown, a four-year EMT who is studying to be a paramedic, said. “It’s a new kind of vaccine, so that’s a little scary. But, every vaccine is new at some point.”

Tillman said he got vaccinated for his own safety, as well as for his family and his patients.

“I would hate to be the one to spread it to someone’s loved one. So I’d like to do my part at least,” Tillman said. “This is one more tool added to the toolbox to stay safe.”

A military veteran, Tillman wasn’t concerned about shot safety.

“I was in the military. I got enough shots. I’m pretty sure this one isn’t going to do anything else,” Tillman said.

Even after their vaccinations, EMTs will still have to wear masks.

“(The vaccine) is 95 percent effective. So there is five percent that is not effective,” Dr. Michelle Campagne, medical director with American Ambulance, said.

County’s Health Officer Pleased with Operation

Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer, dropped by to observe the clinic directly.

He took pride in the relatively mundane process, with five stations set up divided by privacy curtains.

“We want boring. We want this to be a very low stakes, easy, efficient, streamlined operation. We don’t want it to be chaotic. We want this to be the experience that every patient in the county has,” Vohra said. “I think we had enough excitement this year. So I’m glad that this is going as smoothly as it’s going.”

Fresno County Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra (left) chats with American Ambulance nurse Jennifer Valeri, medical director Dr. Danielle Campagne and county EMT Curtis Jack. (GV Wire/David Taub)

County Using Moderna Vaccine

The Moderna shots were paid for by the federal government and distributed through the state and county.

A sheriff’s deputy escorted the vaccines to the Junior Exhibition building at the fairgrounds. The Moderna vaccine must be kept between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each box of Moderna vaccine contained 10 vials, and each vial is good for 10 shots. They all fit neatly into a cooler that could double as a place to store a lunch.

After receiving the dose, the first responders stuck around for 15 minutes to make sure there were no ill effects from the vaccination.

“There’s a risk with every vaccine. The biggest risk about a vaccine is allergies. Are you going to have an allergic reaction? That’s with any medication you take,” Campagne said.

Medication like Benadryl was on hand just in case.

Because Moderna is a two-shot process, recipients will be back in 28 days to receive the second dose.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Iran Proposes Meeting With Europeans Before Next Talks With US, Diplomats Say

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Order Requiring List of Sanctuary Cities, States, Official Says

DON'T MISS

Saudi Arabia and Qatar to Pay Off Syria’s Debt to the World Bank

DON'T MISS

Pakistan Defense Minister Says Military Incursion by India Is Imminent

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Allows Temporary Sales of Summertime Higher-Ethanol Fuel

DON'T MISS

US Judge to Hear Harvard’s Case Over Trump Funding Freeze in July

DON'T MISS

Madera Man Arrested After Armed Robbery, K-9 Assists in Capture

DON'T MISS

Huge Power Outage Paralyzes Parts of Spain and Portugal

DON'T MISS

US Sanctions Target Deliveries of Oil and Gas to Houthis

DON'T MISS

Putin Orders 3-Day Truce in Ukraine Next Month, Kremlin Says

UP NEXT

Only About Half of Republicans Say Trump Has Focused on the Right Priorities

UP NEXT

Israeli Airstrike Kills 10 People, Half of Them Children

UP NEXT

Shedeur Sanders Is Still Waiting for a Call as the NFL Draft Enters the Final Day

UP NEXT

Israel’s AI Experiments in the War in Gaza Raise Ethical Concerns

UP NEXT

Paul Skenes Strikes Out 9, Wins Duel With Yamamoto in Pirates’ Victory Over Dodgers

UP NEXT

Eovaldi Outlasts Verlander as Rangers Beat Giants

UP NEXT

Rams Take Oregon Tight End Terrance Ferguson in Second Round After Trading Out of First

UP NEXT

The Latest: Francis Is Remembered as a ‘Pope Among the People’ as He Is Laid to Rest

UP NEXT

Trump Is a Revolutionary. Will He Succeed or Fail?

UP NEXT

Trump Now Doubts Putin Wants to End Ukraine War, a Day After Saying a Deal Was Close

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Pakistan Defense Minister Says Military Incursion by India Is Imminent

1 hour ago

Trump Administration Allows Temporary Sales of Summertime Higher-Ethanol Fuel

1 hour ago

US Judge to Hear Harvard’s Case Over Trump Funding Freeze in July

1 hour ago

Madera Man Arrested After Armed Robbery, K-9 Assists in Capture

2 hours ago

Huge Power Outage Paralyzes Parts of Spain and Portugal

2 hours ago

US Sanctions Target Deliveries of Oil and Gas to Houthis

2 hours ago

Putin Orders 3-Day Truce in Ukraine Next Month, Kremlin Says

2 hours ago

Timberwolves Push Lakers to Edge of Elimination With Comeback Win

2 hours ago

Dodgers Overcome Early Deficit for Victory Over the Pirates

2 hours ago

Suspected US Airstrike Hits Yemen Migrant Centre; Houthi TV Says 68 Killed

2 hours ago

Iran Proposes Meeting With Europeans Before Next Talks With US, Diplomats Say

PARIS/DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has proposed meeting the European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal possibly in Rome this Friday if talks re...

36 minutes ago

A general view of Muscat, ahead of the awaited negotiations between U.S. and Iran, Muscat, Oman, April 25, 2025. (REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo)
36 minutes ago

Iran Proposes Meeting With Europeans Before Next Talks With US, Diplomats Say

In his first hundred days in office, Trump has moved to strip legal immigration status from hundreds of thousands of people. On Sunday, the White House plastered across the lawnposters of people described as arrested illegal immigrants. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
40 minutes ago

Trump to Sign Order Requiring List of Sanctuary Cities, States, Official Says

A market in Old Damascus, Feb. 26, 2025. The civil war has taken a huge toll on the country’s economy, with industries decimated and infrastructure destroyed. (Kiana Hayeri/The New York Times)
52 minutes ago

Saudi Arabia and Qatar to Pay Off Syria’s Debt to the World Bank

A Pakistan flag is seen on Pakistan Rangers' Post near the Attari-Wagah border crossing near Amritsar, India, April 26, 2025. India has suspended visa services to Pakistani nationals "with immediate effect" following an attack on tourists near Pahalgam in south Kashmir. (REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis)
1 hour ago

Pakistan Defense Minister Says Military Incursion by India Is Imminent

Choices at the gas pump including ethanol or no ethanol gas are seen in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., January 29, 2020. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
1 hour ago

Trump Administration Allows Temporary Sales of Summertime Higher-Ethanol Fuel

Demonstrators rally on Cambridge Common in a protest organized by the City of Cambridge calling on Harvard leadership to resist federal government interference at the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. April 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Nicholas Pfosi/File Photo)
1 hour ago

US Judge to Hear Harvard’s Case Over Trump Funding Freeze in July

Madera police arrested Huber Silva, 32, of Madera, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, on felony robbery and drug charges Sunday after he was located near E. Dunham Avenue with the help of a witness and K-9 Goose. (Madera PD)
2 hours ago

Madera Man Arrested After Armed Robbery, K-9 Assists in Capture

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2025 People use their cell phone's flashlight in a dark sports shop after the matches get suspended due to a power outage (REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura)
2 hours ago

Huge Power Outage Paralyzes Parts of Spain and Portugal

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend