By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Oct 16, 2009 at 4:21 PM
More than 200 Bell Ambulance employees have received or are receiving H1N1 flu vaccinations this week.

"When you do rescue work, the thing they always talk about is 'scene safety'," said Jim Lombardo, the co-owner of Bell Ambulance. "If the people rendering care aren't safe, they can't give care to the people that need it."

Lombardo credits the vaccinations to "a very aggressive paramedic director" who called about the vaccines.

"We had the vaccine in our fridge for a week, waiting to get the protocols from the state," he said. "We should be done administering them by Saturday morning. I think we're the first employer in the state to undertake this."

The Milwaukee Health Department is recommending flu shots (seasonal and H1N1) for all persons that do not have medical contraindications in order to avoid influenza infection (seasonal and H1N1) and/or transmission to others.