COVID-19 adaptations ripple around Manistee County for responders

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series looking at the practices, protocol and realities that have since shifted for a list of first response entities in Manistee County in the last nine months of the pandemic. Part one focused on personal protective equipment and part two centers on the changes seen at the sheriff’s office, jail, courthouse and impacts to staff.

MANISTEE COUINTY — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it has forced change in its wake for a list of entities in Manistee County, including first responders.

Some of these changes are increasing demands for personal protective equipment known as PPE, but some of these changes are spread out among lesser known areas such as heating and ventilation setups, cleaning efforts and staff scheduling adaptations.

CHANGES FOR INMATES, JAIL CELLS

Manistee County’s jail transformed two of its three holding cells last month in an effort to make the place safer for all at the facility during the pandemic.

Ken Falk, Manistee County sheriff, had presented the proposed project, estimated to cost about $16,000, to the Manistee County Board of Commissioners this summer with the goal of changing two jail cells into negative pressure cells.

The holding cells now vent directly outside from the two cells, preventing recirculation of air that is possibly carrying COVID-19 or other illnesses.

“The project is important because then we will have the ability to make those two cells negative pressure, exhausting the air (which could be contaminated by someone with COVID-19) and pulling in fresh air,” Falk had previously said. “Not circulating the contaminated air in the jail will help (hopefully) contain the person during quarantine. …  Adding the negative pressure will help with controlling the spread of the virus.”

RELATED: Manistee County OKs funding for new air system at jail

But Manistee County jail administrator Chris Banicki added later that the benefits come from more than just helping to prevent COVID-19, it can also help with other contagious illnesses such as the seasonal flu.

“It discharges all of that air in there and runs it through filters and discharges it outside,” Banicki said. “It really lessens that potential spread through the other holding cell. It’s another tool that we have to help keep our staff and inmate population safe.”

On Sept. 8, jails were required by the state to start testing inmates for COVID-19 upon intake and for any transfers. Later the authority for the executive orders requiring that action had been revoked, but Banicki said the Manistee County Jail still has inmates test for COVID-19.

Previously, if an inmate refused to be tested, they were required to quarantine for two weeks.

Banicki said they also have rapid testing capability to get results within about an hour at the facility.

RELATED PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Manistee County Jail joins state, starts testing inmates for COVID-19 

Prior to September, Manistee County inmates had not been tested. The jail had used quarantine as a precaution for new inmates.

Another aspect was that the jail needed to be compliant with the Michigan Department of Corrections and come up with a plan and get inspected.

Banicki said the pandemic has had an overwhelming impact on everyone including him and others outside of the jail.

Manistee County undersheriff Brian Gutowski said the sheriff’s office and jail started using the Clorox Total 360 machine.

“It’s really helped change the way we clean inside the facility,” he said. “It does a great job of sanitizing large rooms and large common areas which in a jail setting is really important.”

Prior to the electrostatic machine, cleaning had been done by hand using traditional cleaning methods.

“The staff at the Manistee County Jail has been phenomenal by taking all these changes in stride and they’ve really stepped up to the challenge of the cleaning process,” Gutowski said. “My staff has been excellent in maintaining sanitation and as far as cleaning and disinfecting. This has disrupted everybody’s normal work routine and they have really stepped up at the jail and on the road, everybody has flexibly done an awesome job and I’m very proud of them.”

He said the machine also helped to speed up the cleaning process. The machine can also be used to clean road patrol vehicles.

Banicki said aside from the ongoing pandemic, the machine makes for a cleaner work environment in general.

The Manistee County Courthouse, Manistee County Sheriff’s Office and Manistee County Planning Department Building each had a Halo vent system installed.

Bruce Schimke, Manistee County maintenance supervisor, who was in charge of setting up the negative pressure cells, also installed the Halo system that uses ultraviolet light to sanitize air at the buildings.

Schimke previously explained the Halo systems and said it was put in place to help protect anyone from the public who visits several key county buildings as well as the staff who work there.

“All the air that’s being taken out of that room is completely sanitized,” Schimke had said to the News Advocate. “We’re trying to do everything that we can to keep the safety of Manistee County employees and everyone that’s at the county jail and everyone safe.”

SCREENING AND SCHEDULES

Gutoswki said staff have also started using a COVID-19 sustainability schedule again that had been implemented in the spring.

“It’s basically an alternate schedule and that creates some more distance between our shifts,” he said. “Where typically we have two shifts, now, we have three shifts so we can kind of space out how much people interact in the building — so that if someone were to come down with COVID-19 in one of our shifts, it doesn’t wipe out the entire force. It allows us to give flexibility in our scheduling to help protect the staff.”

Public access to buildings like the sheriff’s office and Manistee County Courthouse has changed throughout the year in response to executive orders, case counts and to allow staff time to implement added safety measures such as plastic divider shields, COVID-19 screening procedures prior to entrance to the building and institute changes like requiring masks and social distancing.

Screenings have also become standard in places where the public comes in contact with staff members of places like government centers; temperature checks and COVID-19 risk assessments have also come to Manistee County.

RELATED: Here’s how Manistee County courthouse safety steps have changed through time

The Manistee County Courthouse typically has bailiffs ready to screen visitors with temperature checks and COVID-19 questions prior to entry to the building.

According to numbers reported by Sheriff Ken Falk at the Manistee County Public Safety Committee meeting on Friday, bailiffs screened 1,056 people visiting the court building in November. That number excludes staff members and attorneys.

RELATED: Manistee County Courts close building to public after COVID-19 spikes

The courthouse was open early in the year, then closed in the spring, implemented safety measures such as plastic glass shields, then reopened during the summer and now is closed again to the public after recent increases in local case counts.

Many of the court cases were being handled by Zoom video technology instead of having people appear in person for their court appearances.

CENTRAL DISPATCH

But COVID-19 screening is also present when it comes to central dispatch 911 calls in the county.

“They’re usually the first people to get the call and then they relay the information to us so that we can respond and do it safely,” Gutowski said. “They’re people that are often overlooked and they play a huge role in keeping our responders safe.”

Central dispatch staff ask callers a series of questions relating to COVID-19 in an effort to better prepare responders like law enforcement and EMS so they can wear the proper PPE gear and take necessary precautions on an emergency call.

According to 911 Deputy Director Mike Machen’s report to the public safety committee on Friday, central dispatch is allowed to have 12 dispatchers on staff and it currently has 11 after a new dispatcher was set to start working Friday evening.

Machen said they plan to hire another dispatcher to bring the team to full staff levels.

“Our staff here at the office, and I think everybody who is involved in emergency services, realizes just how important this job is,” Gutowski said. “If there’s one thing that we’re really good at … it’s adapting to ever-changing issues. These jobs, whether it be in the jail or on the road are always unpredictable.”

He said by doing the screenings, dispatch and others are looking out for one another in a needed way.

“Things can change at a moment’s notice and I think a ton of credit needs to go to our staff for the way that they’ve embraced the changes we’ve made,” Gutowski said. “There’ve been a ton of changes at the facility in the way that we deal with things on the road. They’ve embraced those challenges, they’ve done a phenomenal job at keeping our facility safe and each other safe here at the office.

“We’ve been really good at (that) in law enforcement in general forever, but this COVID-19 pandemic has really given an opportunity to showcase just how flexible it can be and really embrace all those changes and they’ve done a phenomenal job,” he said.

RELATED: Part one — Who’s protected? A look back at Manistee County safety during COVID-19