By Rachel Engel
BROOKVILLE, Pa. — Two first responders have been hospitalized with COVID-19 complications, and fundraisers have been set up to assist their families, The Courier Express reported.
Holly Buskirk Siple works as a dispatcher for Jefferson County 911 Center and is a former firefighter. She was hospitalized for “poor oxygen perfusion” before the COVID-19 test had a chance to come back positive.
Jefferson County EMS Deputy Chris Clark discussed Siple’s battle with the disease at a recent county commissioner’s meeting.
“One of our own dispatchers a week ago experienced a fever and symptoms of COVID...The dispatcher attempted a few different entities to get a COVID test. The dispatcher couldn’t get scheduled for several days from that point, which to me was completely not acceptable for somebody to have to wait several days,” Clark said. “Less than 24 hours later, our dispatcher had a 1 percent chance of survival because of complications with COVID.”
Angie Fisher, an ER nurse who also works with DuBois EMS and Jefferson County EMS, as well as volunteers as a firefighter McCalmont Township and Knox Township fire departments, tested positive for COVID-19 on May 10, and was hospitalized on May 12, her father, Rich Fisher, said.
In addition to the coronavirus, Fisher is also fighting pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia. Her condition is now stable, and her dad has faith in her recovery.
“There is not one inkling in my mind that my daughter won’t come walking back into this house,” Rich Fisher said.