Mount Horeb Tackles Pandemic Without Big-City Resources

A day in the life of Chief Jenny Minter at the Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department could not be more different from just a few months ago. With the COVID-19 virus reaching this small town, the department now needs to wear masks, add more cleaning chores to their list and install hand sanitizer stations.

 “We have closed our station to visitors and have non-contact procedures for at the door if someone rings the bell,” said Minter.

Staff are prepared with face masks and thermometers for any visitors who come to the door.

Now, with many businesses and restaurants closing, residents’ lives have been impacted in this town of just over 7,400 people. Streets are almost bare and schools have been moved online.

“The transition wasn’t all that bad, but I do miss my students a lot and I just want to go back,” said Channing Liska, a fifth-grade teacher at Mount Horeb Middle School.

Liska said students did not seem to have a hard transition to online classes, but she has received many emails from students needing help on assignments.

“Most students weren’t concerned about the transition to online schools, but I know many parents were,” said Liska.

Some businesses in town have opened up for takeout delivery and non-contact service.

“We had to shut down our open play and party events and make some adjustments to our showroom, as in visits one at a time and by appointment,” said Shannon Hadac, owner of PlayN Wisconsin.

Hadac has owned the store for nine years and opened it up in Middleton, Wisconsin, a town north east of Mount Horeb. The store sells trampolines, swing sets and basketball hoops.

“We encourage all orders to be processed over the phone, email, live chat, or video chat,” said Hadac.

After the Safer at Home Order is lifted, Hadac said she plans on opening the store again.

“Because of Covid-19, we are going to slowly open up the parties and play,” she said.

According to Village President Randy Little, Mount Horeb abided by recommendations from the Dane County Health Department and the County Executive, Joe Parisi, as well as Governor Tony Evers.

“We are encouraging take out for the bars and restaurants for food,” said Little. 

Little is most concerned for the smaller shops and restaurants in town.

“I think proper and slow reopening of the businesses will be the best way to go,” he said. “The sooner the better for our business owners.”

Written procedures have been created for staff at the Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department on how to prepare for COVID patients and ways to clean the ambulance. A suspected patient will wear a face mask as well as staff members.

“We have transported possible COVID cases, and I have heard of community members that have tested positive, including one death in Mount Horeb related to COVID-19,” said Minter.

Little and his wife used to work with the resident who died.

“One is too many,” said Little

Fire Department Staff followed new rules on wearing full amounts of PPE.

 “We are using standard, contact, droplet and airborne precautions for all suspected COVID-19 positive patients,” said Minter. “This is eye protection, gloves, gown, and N95 mask.”

Minter is worried about what will happen after the Safer at Home Order is lifted.

“We are not ready to have a large spike in cases,” she said. “There is not enough PPE, not enough testing in place, and not enough public health staff to follow up with contact tracing.”

Minter hopes that the community will wait to socialize again until the number of daily cases is manageable.