Eleven towns, including some in Franklin County, have signed on to an agreement spearheaded by Hadley officials that allows first responders who could potentially contract COVID-19 to stay in a Hadley motel.
Officials with the Hadley Police and Fire departments developed the agreement in collaboration with other Western Massachusetts communities, including Easthampton and Southwick.
“It became very clear that there was a need for all of our first responder departments and agencies to have the ability to provide a safe, secure and centrally located facility in the event of an exposure to one of our responders that does not allow for them to go home to their families until they are tested and confirmed negative,” Hadley town officials wrote in a statement.
Any town can sign on to the agreement, but once a town has signed, it must start paying for five rooms at the motel and related cleaning.
Greenfield is one of the communities that has signed on, according to Fire Chief Robert Strahan.
“Whenever there’s a situation where a first responder needs to be isolated or quarantined — but especially, isolated — we work with them to figure out what suits them best,” he said.
Strahan said for Greenfield’s first responders who prefer to not isolate at home — or can’t — they have the option to isolate at the Hadley motel, or at the Greenfield Hampton Inn & Suites, which the department also has arrangements with.
“It’s really tailored to what the first responder’s needs are,” Strahan said.
In the early stages of the pandemic, he said the department had a few firefighters who were exposed and were able to isolate in a local hotel for 14 days. Another individual chose to isolate at home.
Currently, he said all firefighters have been cleared and are in good health.
The Conway Selectboard reviewed the agreement with Hadley at an April board meeting, but ultimately decided — at the recommendation of Fire Chief Robert Baker — not to sign it at the present time.
Instead, the board approved the last-minute signing of the agreement, were the need for quarantine facilities to arise.
“It makes sense to wait and pay when we need it,” said board member Philip Kantor.
The Northfield Selectboard also discussed three separate quarantined housing options, one of which was the agreement with Hadley, for first responders awaiting results or testing following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
On April 23, Town Administrator Andrea Llamas said Northfield would not be pursuing the arrangement with Hadley. She cited the distance to Hadley as a concern for Northfield personnel, and the arrangement would cost more than other available options.
The two other memorandums of understanding for quarantine housing agreements would be with Greenfield or The Moody Center in Northfield. Llamas discussed these plans with Northfield Police, Fire and EMS department heads.
“It became very clear to them that they wanted to have something in place for first responders, should they become exposed or need quarantine because they have had a possible exposure,” Llamas said.
The arrangements would allow first responders to avoid potentially infecting their families and the public, and are not intended as a substitution for medical treatment.
“This is just a precaution to protect them and their families, primarily,” she said.
Following an outline of the Hadley agreement, Northfield officials discussed an agreement with Greenfield and the Hampton Inn & Suites. Llamas said this arrangement is “much more informal” and doesn’t require the Selectboard signing in advance. It would require Northfield to pay for the hotel rooms it uses and cleaning.
Thirdly, The Moody Center has volunteered to offer housing for first responders. Llamas said the center has turned some of its buildings into suite-style housing. The only charge involved in having first responders stay there would be a cleaning fee.
At this time, Northfield has yet to officially decide on any agreement. Should it join and incur any expenses, such costs would likely be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.