County custodian has false alarm; union praises county
A frightening instance that sent a Butler County custodian to the emergency room with a possible case of COVID-19 was caused by a faulty thermometer.
John Listisen, business manager with Service Employees International Union Local 688, learned that a custodian tested normal Tuesday afternoon when his temperature was taken by sheriff deputies at the entrance to the county government center as he arrived for his shift.
After cleaning at two offices, he went to the Butler County Prison at about 8 p.m. to perform his duties there.
Upon being tested at the entrance by a prison guard, Listisen said the custodian was found to have a temperature slightly higher than normal but still within the safe range. He was allowed to enter the jail, but went to talk to the nurse upon becoming worried about having a mild fever.
The nurse, using a “touch thermometer” on the custodian's forehead, recorded two consecutive temperatures of 103.1.
The nurse advised the custodian to call his primary care physician, who called the emergency room at Butler Memorial Hospital to tell them his patient was on his way.
No high temperature, no virus symptoms
However, medical staff at the emergency room found no trace of a high temperature or any COVID-19 symptoms, Listisen said.
The custodian tested negative for the flu and was sent home, he said.
“My concern is that those thermometers (at the prison) are not accurate,” Listisen said.
He met with county commissioners, the county director of human resources and the county solicitor to discuss the issue, and said the county handled the incident correctly.
Listisen said he learned the commissioners enacted protocol as soon as the custodian left the building, including cleaning and sterilization of all areas where he had worked and alerting those with whom the custodian came into contact that he had a temperature.
The county will also receive a few thousand paper masks Thursday to distribute to all county employees still working at the government center and jail, and two custodians have been assigned to continually walk the two buildings and wipe down heavily used areas.
“I've got to give those commissioners kudos,” Listisen said.
He said the thermometers will also be studied to ensure they are accurate.
911 safety measures
While he was in Butler, Listisen also delivered a touch thermometer to the county 911 center, where all dispatchers had just begun being screened upon arrival with digital thermometers.
Steve Bicehouse, the county emergency services director, said the digital thermometers take a few minutes to get a temperature while the device that is placed on the forehead offers an almost instant reading.
Listisen said the commissioners also contacted a specialized cleaning crew to thoroughly sterilize the 911 center at 4 a.m. Thursday.
“That's the most important function in the county right now,” Listisen said of the 911 dispatchers. “They have a limited number of (dispatchers) up there, and if they get sick, the county is in trouble.”
He said some dispatchers also serve with ambulance companies or as emergency responders in various capacities.
“The union is going to support the county's decision to mandate screening before anybody comes into the 911 center,” Listisen said. “Our members understand there is a pandemic going on and this a matter of community interest.”
He said the county will also offer paper masks to the employees at the 911 center when the shipment arrives Thursday.
“I've really got to tip my hat to the county commissioners,” Listisen said.
