Each Sunday we will feature a project going on within the city, happenings within a department or someone who works hard to provide services to the community. This week looks at the involvement of the Portage Fire Department in the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Porter County.
Portage Assistant Fire Chief Dan Kodicek has been lending his skills to help get as many Porter County residents vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as possible.
One day this past week, Kodicek was able to vaccinate 18 people, ages 16 to 96, as part of the Homebound Hoosier Vaccination Program.
Porter County Aging & Community Services (PCACS) has partnered with the Porter County Health Department to provide COVID vaccinations to eligible homebound Porter County residents.
Kodicek is on loan to the health department to make sure those residents who cannot travel and have no other way to reach a vaccination site, receive the vaccine.
He said he volunteered for the assignment and will continue on the task "as long as it takes to get Porter County healthy."
Porter County Aging & Community Services will assess and determine the eligibility of a homebound Porter County resident. If the homebound resident is eligible, Porter County Aging & Community Services will register the resident on the Hoosier Homebound Portal. Once the resident is entered into the portal, the Health Department will work with a local EMS provider who will go to the resident's home to administer the vaccination.
The resident will receive a phone call from the Health Department to schedule a date and time that the EMS provider can come.
Those interested in the program must qualify by reaching one of these two criteria: Due to illness or injury, the individual needs the aid of supportive devices such as crutches, cane, wheelchairs and walkers; the use of special transportation; or the assistance of another person to leave their place of residences OR the individual has a condition for which leaving their home is medically contradicted.
If the individual meets one of the above criteria, then they must also meet both of the Criteria Two requirements: There must be a normal inability to leave home AND leaving home would require a considerable and taxing effort.
If you are a homebound Porter County resident, or family member/caregiver for a homebound Porter County resident, please contact Porter County Aging & Community Services by phone at 219-464-9736 to register for the Homebound Hoosiers Vaccination Project.
