Some Dallas first responders get COVID-19 vaccine thanks to Parkland

While Dallas hasn’t gotten its first allotment of vaccines yet, Parkland Hospital has and is sharing what it has to make first responders safe.

DALLAS - Some Dallas first responders got their first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.

Other departments are waiting anxiously for shipments from the state to arrive.

For paramedics and firefighters who've answered many 911 calls for people sick and showing symptoms of COVID-19, it can't get here fast enough.

And while Dallas hasn’t gotten its first allotment yet, Parkland Hospital has and is sharing what it has to make first responders safe.

Some 50 Dallas firefighters and paramedics got the vaccines courtesy of Parkland sharing some of its Pfizer allotment.

"This is very important, not only for the morale of our department, but to also let our first responders know that we are looking out for their safety as well as their family’s safety," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominque Artis.

Dallas is still waiting for its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine from the state, which is set to be 2,000 doses.

"We still expect it to come in the next 48 hours, and we're still projecting our start date to be Saturday," said Rocky Vaz, director of the Dallas Office of Emergency Management.

A pharmacist fills a syringe to prepare a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for frontline health care workers at a vaccination site at Torrance Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 19, 2020 in Torrance, California. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/A

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Police, firefighters, and other members of the city’s first responders are set to get the protections.

"We're looking at vaccinating up to 250 DPD, DFR, Dallas city marshals a day for the first few days, and we may be able to ramp that up. I think we will after a few days, as we kind of see how things are going," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Bret Stidham.

Arlington, like Dallas, is waiting for its gift of the Moderna vaccine, which is set to be 3,000 doses.

"This is the first step in overcoming this pandemic, is vaccinating our frontline health care providers, our frontline EMS responders, our frontline firefighters that are fighting this pandemic every single day," explained Cynthia Simmons, with the Public Health Authority for Arlington.

The state shipment, once in, will also go to some healthcare workers in a few Tarrant County cities.

"This is a big thing, especially after the last ten months. Our folks have no idea what they're walking into. They have to be careful," Mark Kesseler, who is the regional director for American Medical Response.

Arlington is transforming its Esports stadium into a vaccination hub. It’s where the paramedics will get their first of two doses when the vaccines arrive.

The location could become a drive-thru vaccination clinic for the public once there’s enough vaccine for anyone who wants it.

"We can handle roughly about 100 vaccines an hour. We'll stay open 10 to 12 hours, whatever it takes," said Arlington Fire Department Assistant Chief Gerald Randall.

Both Arlington and Dallas are hoping for what they would consider a Christmas gift from the state if their shipments would arrive between now and Friday.