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Captain Robert “Bobby” Rocha and Scott Davidson, a communications specialist and paramedic, had been in hospital “for some time” before succumbing to the virus, Fire Chief Donna Lake said.
“We are all standing here … we were close friends of the people we have lost,” the chief said at a press conference on Sunday. “They are all permanent employees, so we grew up together in this department. We work together, we fight together, we live together, we eat together, we do just like families at work.”
With first responders interacting with people who may be infected on a daily basis, following these measures helps protect frontline professionals, Lake said.
“When 9/11 happened, first responders were on the front lines then,” she said. “In this pandemic, we are on the front lines.”
First responders know their job is risky and continue to make calls as the pandemic worsens, “not knowing if today is the day they can get in touch with someone who is actively positive for Covid” Lake said.
The loss of Rocha, 60, and Davidson, 45, will make it even more difficult to maintain morale, Lake said. Their coronavirus death follows that of EMT Billy Birmingham, who died in April after contracting the virus, city officials said.
Seventy-three members of the Kansas City Fire Department are currently infected with Covid-19, Lake said, with 201 KCFD employees testing positive since the start of the pandemic.
“The best way we can honor people and the best way to prevent the spread of Covid is to do whatever has been recommended: wear a mask, wash your hands, socialize and really shorten and create a group of people… that you can trust and be there, ”Lake said.
“Save that for when we can come out of this pandemic and we can all come back together as friends and family,” she said.
CNN’s Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.
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