Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Talks About How Crews Are Helping Keep Residents Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic

Eyewitness News spoke to Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel, who also serves as the director for the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.

FIRST RESPONDS NECESSARYPHILADELPHIA ARE DOING THEIRPART IN KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE ONTHE FRONT LINES AS THEYRESPOND TO THE CORONAVIRUS.JOINING US NOW, LIVER ON THEPHONE THIS MORNING, ISPHILADELPHIA FIRECOMMISSIONER, ADAM TEAL, WHOALSO SERVES AS THE DIRECTORFOR THE PHILADELPHIA OFFICE OFEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONER.SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.GOOD MORNING, JANELLE,THANKS FOR HAVING ME.I KNOW HOW BUSY YOU GUYS,ARE HOW YOUR TEAM HAS BEENDOING ALL THEY CAN TO KEEPPHILADELPHIANS SAFE.AND, AS WE TRY TO DO OUR PARTTO HELP STOP THE VIRUS, WHATDO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGESTCHALLENGE FOR ALL OF YOU WHOARE ON THE FRONT LINES?WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR MISSIONREALLY DOESN'T STOP.THE WOMEN AND MEN OF THIS FIREDEPARTMENT, AND ALSO EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT QUITE LITERALLYWORKING AROUND THE CLOCK,BEFORE AND AFTER THIS COVIDCRISIS A ROSE ACROSS THE CITYNAUGHTS DOING A LOT OFDIFFERENT THINGS.THE WAY PEOPLE CAN HELP BYSTAYING AT HOME, HELPING INTHE FLATTEN THE CAN YOU.YOU SHARED SOME PHOTOS OFTHE OFFICE OF EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT NERVE CENTER LASTWEEK, HOW BIG AFTERCOORDINATION EFFORT IS IT FORYOU GUYS DEALING WITH A CITYOF THIS SIZE, ENDURING, GOINGTHROUGH THIS CRISIS IN.YOU KNOW, HUGE COORDINATIONEFFORT.AND I'M SO PROUD TO BE PART OFIT, AND HONORED, WE HAVE SOMANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS, BOTHCITY AGENCIES, OTHERORGANIZATIONS, ALL WORKINGTOGETHER, EVERY DAY,CONSTANTLY TO HELP FEED KIDS,HELP FEED PEOPLE WHO HAVESECURITY, OF COURSE, CONTINUETO DO OUR FIRE EMS MISSION,ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THECITY DOES.SO FOLKS THAT REALLY STEPPEDUP, AS WE DO, SIT OFPHILADELPHIA, TO HELP EACHOTHER OUT DURING THIS CRISIS.EVERYBODY'S STEPPING UP ANDDOING THEIR PART.AND, AS YOU TOUCHED ON PEOPLEARE BEING TOLD TO STAY AT HOMEAND TO CONTINUE PRACTICESOCIAL DISTANCING, WHAT IS THEMESSAGE I WANT TO GIVE TOPHILADELPHIANS AT THIS TIME?WELL WELL, TRULY WHEN WESAY STAY AT HOME, WE MEAN,THAT STAY AT HOME, STAYINFORMED, VISIT THE CITY'SWEBSITE AT PHILA.GOV GO TO THEPAGE, A LOT OF GREATINFORMATION.YOU CAN ALSO TEXT COVE I HADPHL TO 888-777 AND GET REGULARUPDATES ABOUT THE CHANGE INTHE COVID-19 SITUATION.TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, YOURNEIGHBORS, OF COURSE SOCIALDISTANCING DO, THAT FROM6 FEET AWAY, AND WE WILL ALLGET THROUGH THIS.AND WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANTPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTIS FOR EMERGENCY WORKERSAROUND THE COUNTRY.THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC WE'VEBEEN TALKING A WILL THE B TALKTO US HOW YOUR TEAMS IN PHILLYARE DOING AND TO BE SURE THEYKEEP SAFE AS WELL?WE HAVE GROUP OF DEDICATEDFOLKS, ACROSS CITY GOVERNMENT,HAS BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TOPROCURE PTE AND WHAT WE KNOWAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE.NOT JUST FOR OUR AGENCIES, BUTREALLY FORAY CROSS THEHEALTHCARE ENTERPRIZE OF THECITY SO THEY'RE CONTINUING TODO THAT.YOU MIGHT SEE OUR FOLKSWEARING HIGHER LEVEL PPE THANTHEY NORMALLY O MIGHT WEARTHEIR BREATHING APPARATUS.FAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY,TAKE TIME TO FIND SOMETHINGPOSITIVE ABOUT THIS, AND WITHTHE TIME TOGETHER, WE WILL GETTHROUGH THIS IF WE JUST FOCUSON THE THINGS THAT WE DO SOWELL, AS THE CITY OF BROTHERLYLOVE AND SISTERLY AFFECTION.ALL RIGHT, FIRE