Every day this week, D.C. has reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, and more than 100 first responders for the city are among those who contracted the virus.
D.C. Fire & EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department are each experiencing staffing shortages as more firefighters and officers get COVID amid the latest surge from the omicron variant.
In the past week, 117 members of D.C. Fire & EMS tested positive, the highest weekly number the department has seen since the start of the pandemic.
Fire Chief John Donnelly said the majority of firefighters who tested positive were fully vaccinated and none of them have serious symptoms.
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Nine ambulances were out of service all or part of the day on Saturday due to the surge in cases, Donnelly told News4.
But, he said, staffing shortages are not affecting his department's ability to respond to emergency calls.
"D.C. Fire and EMS is here. Our people are showing up every day doing their job.
They're going to be here through the holidays. I'm very proud of our workforce," he said.
While Donnelly said he's confident public safety isn't compromised, he's worried about the lasting impacts of the pandemic on firefighters.
"This has been going on 20 months. Our workforce has been working extremely hard so I am worried, and it's over Christmas right now," Donnelly said.
Law enforcement sources told News4 as many as 22 D.C. police officers tested positive one day this week. Dozens more who were exposed to those officers are required to quarantine at home.
As of Tuesday, 113 D.C. police officers were out due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or orders to quarantine. The department has 3,547 officers.
