Six individuals are in quarantine after a South King Fire and Rescue employee from the Information and Technology Division tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 28.

The employee began to feel ill on Oct. 27 and immediately left work and took a COVID-19 test at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, said Capt. Brad Chaney, public information officer for SKFR. The positive results returned the next day.

“Since the return of the results, the employee has been in isolation with no exposure to other people,” Chaney said. As a precaution, the additional six district personnel who were possibly exposed to the employee between Oct. 25-26 were contacted immediately and are now in quarantine for two weeks.

The employee did not have any contact with the public and was not around any firefighters during that time period, Chaney said.

The department’s Information and Technology Division has ensured every employee who can work from home is capable to do so, and South King Fire does not expect any issues in the quality of service to the firefighters and their technology equipment regarding public safety and rapid responses to emergency incidents, Chaney said.

Lt. Greg Willet, a member of South King Fire’s Hazardous Materials Team and test site manager for the King County Aquatic Center Test Site, provides the policy and oversight of the department’s workplace sanitation, Chaney said, and has ensured employees have the equipment, supplies and training to keep their workplaces safe.