The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has imposed human and financial costs on the country's first responders, who risk exposure in their jobs and must maintain operations to ensure the safety of the communities they serve. Given the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this literature review is part of a larger multi-phase project to provide first responders short-term guidance based on the current state of knowledge while offering improved and more in-depth analysis over time.
This review is focused on scholarly research that informs our understanding of how first responder organizations are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how they have responded to or were impacted by similar events in the past, and how they can provide services during pandemics in the future. It includes research from government and non-government sources, and ranges from observational studies that describe the impacts on personnel to evaluations of interventions designed to protect staff or maintain service delivery at the organizational level. The document was also reviewed by subject matter experts from the police, fire, and EMS community to provide additional insight and to identify gaps in collected research.
Publication Information
Meehan, Nathan, Alexander Garinther, Maria Chesnos, Kerry Kosiur, and Tori Fox-St. Jacques. 2021. “Monitor and Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 on Public Safety: Literature Review.” College Park, MD: START (March).