MRSA: Those Who Respond Mean Well

They are there to help you at your most vulnerable times. Whether you are in a car accident or have a heart attack, first responders can be the literal difference between life and death. We respect all they do for us, and we trust that they won’t make things worse. They are trained to help us, and they are good at what they do.

A frightening report from WABC news in New York draws attention to a possible way first responders could harm us without even meaning to. Nine probationary New York City firefighters have been moved to light duty because of a possible MRS outbreak. MRSA is the particularly dangerous and difficult-to-treat version of the Staphylococcus virus.

It’s good that this issue was discovered before the firefighters were moved to full duty, but the statement from Frank Dwyer, the spokesperson for the Fire Department, was less encouraging. According to Mr. Dwyer, the fire department is going to increase the “schedule of cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and equipment.” This does nothing to address the possibility that many current firefighters might also be carrying the disease, even as they provide care to accident victims with open wounds.

Firefighters aren’t the only potential source of MRSA that you might encounter on a daily basis. Other possible exposures to contamination can occur in:

• Hospitals, the most common source of MRSA infection
• Schools and playground equipment
• Military bunks and other shared living spaces
• Prisons

If you or a loved one has contracted MRSA, it is important that you learn just where the potentially deadly infection occurred. Though the CDC tries to track these outbreaks as best they can, they are only human, and tracing infections back to their source can be difficult and time-consuming. Every day that passes without the source being discovered, more people are exposed.

Knowing exactly what to do when you are infected with a terrible disease like this is extremely difficult, and there aren’t a lot of places you can turn. Luckily, there are experienced attorneys who can help you both get the care you need and help keep others from getting sick. Please, if you contract MRSA, contact a knowledgeable lawyer to guide you through the process of making things right.