As fears of the coronavirus — both real and imagined — begin to change the ways in which people around the world live their day-to-day lives, city officials in Coeur d’Alene are changing their policies before the disease infects its first patient in Idaho.

“We’re implementing this to make sure we continue to keep our personnel and the people of the community safe,” Craig Etherton, public information officer for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, told The Press Wednesday. “These are just precautions necessary as we continue the daily business of protecting everyone in Coeur d’Alene.”

Etherton issued a press release that detailed changes in emergency response protocols. Starting today, local 9-1-1 dispatchers will likely ask questions to determine whether or not first responders should be aware of additional risk of exposure to the virus that has now infected more than 1,000 nationwide and at least 121,000 worldwide.

“Some of the questions you’ll get [when you call 9-1-1] will just deal with your well-being,” Etherton said. “‘Are you sick?’ ‘Is anyone in the residence sick?’ ‘Are you experiencing a fever, coughing or difficulty breathing?’ ‘Have you been in contact with anyone who’s tested positive for the coronavirus?’ ‘Have you traveled abroad within the last two weeks?’ That sort of thing.”

Depending on the answers, EMTs and fire department personnel may arrive dressed in additional gear as a precaution against the virus. Don’t be surprised to see a first responder knock on your door wearing a respiratory mask, gloves, safety glasses and a medical gown. Etherton said the gown-up process will add no more than a minute to their response time.

“The hardest part is just tying the gown in the back,” he said.

Etherton also announced that the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department will be restricting station tours, ride-alongs and public education gatherings, moves that will be evaluated every 30 days until the coronavirus has passed.

“We feel that the prudent approach is to reduce the risk to both the public as well as our personnel by reducing access to our fire stations, apparatus and equipment,” he said.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department, meanwhile, is not adjusting its policies for officers’ interactions with the public during traffic stops. Capt. Dave Hagar said first responders are more mindful of their surroundings than usual these days, but that keeping safe is already baked in.

“Obviously, we’re watching the situation very closely,” Hagar said Wednesday. “If we think we’re encountering somebody who’s exhibiting obvious signs of illness, we can ask that person to wear a mask. We have masks our officers can wear. Gloves are just part of what our job entails anyway. We encounter people with different communicable diseases in our work all the time, so this is something we’re already aware of.”

The city of Coeur d’Alene issued a companion press release Wednesday that echoed Panhandle Health District guidelines to remain vigilant against the coronavirus. Those recommendations include staying home when sick, limiting contact while under the weather, washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and frequently cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, among other recommendations. The city also recommended maintaining a responsible diet of news.

“It is extremely improtant that information regarding COVID-19 come from reputable sources,” the release said. “Please do not rely on your social media newsfeed for important information regarding your health and safety and that of your loved ones.”

The release suggested pulling information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Panhandle Health Districts and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare websites.

Coeur d’Alene’s moves come amid a flurry of decisions across the Northwest and around the world by governments trying to curtail the pandemic that has now claimed at least 4,373 lives, including 37 in the U.S. On Tuesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee banned gatherings of 250 or more in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

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Student Kayla Myers contributed to this report.