Six Troy firefighters test positive for COVID-19, fire station closed

TROY, Mich. (FOX 20 - The Troy Fire Department said Monday that one of its six fire stations has been temporarily closed after six firefighters tested positive for COVID-19.

The closure of the fire station was announced in a press release from the Troy Fire Department but did not specify which fire station is closed due to the positive tests. All members of the station, approximately 30 firefighters, are currently under quarantine.

The department said the five remaining stations will handle calls and there are not expected to be any delays in response time. 

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"A few of our volunteer members at one of our six stations have recently tested positive for COVID-19. As a precaution, we have decided to temporarily close that particular station for the next 14 days,” Fire Chief Dave Roberts said. “Fortunately, as of now, and to our knowledge, none of the other members from our other five stations have been affected. Plans are in place to provide coverage from our other stations during this time."

The Troy Fire Department is a primarily volunteer fire department with more than 150 firefighters available to respond to calls. 

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The fire department said it was not sure how each firefighter contracted the virus but say they have been in contact with each other on fire runs and other official business of the Fire Department.

Currently, Michigan is undergoing a serious influx of cases with each day setting a record for the number of cases reported in a single day. On Saturday, 6,225 new cases of COVID-19 and 63 deaths were reported in the state.