A memo to D.C. first responders is providing guidance on responding to possible Ebola patients.
Issued by D.C. Fire and EMS on Oct. 3, the memo provides instructions for 911 dispatchers and first responders.
No cases of Ebola have been diagnosed in D.C., and just a single case has been reported in the United States. That patient died in Texas on Wednesday.
The D.C. memo was issued to raise awareness of the disease and reiterate protocol, said Interim Fire and EMS Chief Eugene Jones in the memo.
"At present there are no confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease in the District of Columbia," the memo said in part. "This memorandum is being issued to reiterate Department procedures, provide members with information to increase their awareness of the Ebola Virus Disease and stress the importance of the appropriate use of personal protection equipment (PPE)."
The memo instructs 911 dispatchers to ask callers with flu-like symptoms if they have traveled to West Africa in the previous 21 days.
If so, dispatchers must then warn responding Fire and EMS crews about "universal precautions."
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Universal precautions are commonly used to prevent infection in medical workers when they handle blood and other bodily fluids as though they're carrying bloodborne pathogens, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The D.C. memo said those precautions require first responders to wear impermeable gowns, gloves and face masks or respirators, and full eye protection if they respond to a potential Ebola case. They must also assess the patient's symptoms for Ebola and be aware that a patient with Ebola may act erratically.
The memo also describes common symptoms of Ebola and explains how the disease is spread.
"Early recognition is critical to controlling the spread of Ebola virus," the memo said. "Health care providers should be alert for and evaluate any patients with symptoms consistent with [Ebola] and potential exposure history."
