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NY Dispatchers, Don’t You Dare Say Ebola Over The Radio
New York emergency dispatchers restricted from saying ‘Ebola’ over radio
J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) Political correctness is now taking over policy-making when it comes to dealing with the Ebola virus in the United States, as evidenced, in part, by a new rule imposed on 911 dispatchers in New York City.
According to reports, dispatchers have now been ordered not to use the word “Ebola” over the radio, and instead have been instructed to use code to indicate that units are responding to potential victims of the deadly virus.
The New York Post reports that a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) memo has instructed all personnel to use the new code language if they have to discuss the virus on the air in any capacity.
“At no point shall a dispatcher transmit over the radio any message containing the word ‘Ebola’ or related terminology,” the advisory, which was obtained by the Post, said.
Instead, dispatchers have been told to use the code letters “F-T,” as in “Fever/Traveler,” to indicate that a caller to 911 has reported a fever and has a recent history of travel to West Africa, where the current outbreak began and where the virus continues to rage.
“Engine XXX, utilize Universal Precautions — you are responding to a Fever/Travel incident,” dispatchers have been told to say.
One source told the Post that the new policy is meant to diminish fear around the city of any potential outbreak; media and civilian hobbyists monitor NYC’s emergency radio channels constantly.
“Just like you can’t say bomb on an airplane, we can’t say ‘Ebola,’” the source told the paper. “Back in the ’80s and ’90s, taking universal precautions meant someone has AIDS. And we weren’t allowed to say AIDS either.”
‘We are on the front lines of this’
As most Americans know, a Liberian national brought the virus to the U.S. Thomas Eric Duncan flew into Dallas after failing to report to officials in his home country that he had been exposed. Duncan, who died in October, has infected two nurses who cared for him at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
