Cranston is prepared in the event of a local case of Ebola, Mayor Allan Fung, Fire Chief William McKenna and Police Chief Col. Michael Winquist said on Monday.

“There’s been a great deal of concern among our residents. We, as a city, are taking appropriate precautions to protect ourselves,” Fung said. “I’m confident that our first responders are prepared.”

During a media event at the Fire Department’s station on Sockanosett Cross Road, officials discussed steps being taken to protect first responders and ensure any suspected Ebola patient can be safety treated and transported. Officials said guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Rhode Island Department of Health are being followed.

McKenna said the first step involves dispatchers, who will ask key questions, such as a patient’s recent travel history and symptoms, to determine whether a situation may involve Ebola.

If a scene is deemed to carry that risk, three responders will be dressed in special suits with tape-sealed seams and masks with disposable filters.

“No skin exposure at all; that’s the idea,” said Deputy Chief David DiMaio of the Hazardous Materials Division.

Two of the personnel would enter the scene, while the third would wait to provide assistance if required.

McKenna said the suits required for such a response, “the safest possible for our personnel,” are already on hand, and members of the department spend significant training time in the suits to become acclimated.

The chief said 120 of the department’s personnel have received hazardous materials response training, and another 180 have received EMT-C training. Training was also held recently on Ebola response protocols.

Two ambulances would also respond to a potential Ebola case – one stocked with minimal equipment and plastic sheeting used to cover all internal surfaces, with another fully equipped vehicle following. McKenna said that approach decreases the risk of unneeded equipment being contaminated, while making the ambulance involved in patient transport easier to clean and disinfect.

Fung, the Republican nominee for governor, called for a more proactive approach on the part of state officials in terms of Ebola preparedness. He urged that steps be taken to improve communication between public health officials and the entire medical community, and also called for the institution of a travel ban, excluding medical personnel, for the West African nations involved in the latest Ebola outbreak.

“It’s something that’s necessary to protect Rhode Islanders,” he said. “We’ve got to take all necessary precautions.”