Stewartville Fire Department temporarily suspends first response services due to lack of PPE

STEWARTVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The fire department in Stewartville, Minnesota is temporarily suspending first response services due to a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), officials said Monday.

According to the department, the decision was based on two critical issues. First, the Stewartville Fire Department is the only fire service provider for the city and the surrounding townships and therefore must maintain personnel and resources. Second, the department does not have enough PPE to appropriately protect the community and themselves.

"Despite our repeated requests, this equipment is currently being triaged to hospitals and ambulance services to provide the maximum benefit. We are hoping to resume our full services as soon as possible," officials wrote.

Stewartville Fire will still be responding to fires, vehicle crashes and other specialized rescue missions.

The department stressed that if you have an emergency, you should dial 911.