Some of Niagara's firefighters are getting COVID-19 vaccines.
The Welland chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters union is sending out a thank you to Niagara Health and Niagara EMS workers for their professionalism while administering the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to their members.
Welland Fire Chief Adam Eckhart says about 75 percent of Welland Fire staff are eligible for the vaccine and signed up for the shot.
He says they have had a number of staff that have been required to isolate due to COVID-19 and one person who contracted the virus.
The vaccinations come after firefighters in Ontario were accused of wanting to 'jump the line' for vaccine in early February.
The Ontario Firefighters Association defended the move, noting that 2.5 percent of their members had received the vaccine after an outbreak swept through a fire hall in Mississauga, putting public safety at risk as approximately 100 firefighters were forced to self-isolate at home.
Ontario's Phase One vaccination plan limited vaccine doses to health care workers in hospitals, long-term care home and retirement homes, congregate care settings, and remote Indigenous communities.