Buffalo police officers and firefighters are returning to work after both departments were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Byron Brown says 20 firefighters and 19 police officers have returned to duty after recovering from the virus. That still leaves four cops and 12 firefighters who have tested positive. There are 20 officers and 38 firefighters on administrative leave under quarantine.
The mayor has said those illness levels have not interfered with the departments' ability to do their jobs. Brown says the city is working hard to keep the first responders safe.
"We're doing everything that we can to keep our frontline first responders safe and I'm glad to see that things are moving in the right direction with police and fire in the City of Buffalo," Brown said Tuesday.
Brown said that means everything from daily cleaning of buildings and vehicles to making sure firefighters and police have all of the personal protective equipment they need. He said the city is now able to provide enough PPE, after having problems purchasing them initially.
