The Fireman's Grounds on Brigham Road, Dunkirk is the site of the Western New York COVID-19 testing site. The testing is done in the facility. Photo by Jo Ward

The testing site for COVID-19 is taking shape at the Firemans Grounds on Brigham Road in the city of Dunkirk.

“State workers are there and they’ve already received 120 calls to the hotline to set up appointments for testing,” Mayor Wilfred Rosas told the OBSERVER. “Things are going good, it’s a big process getting this up and running, but the state is professionals at it and it’s going very smoothly.”

When people arrive they’ll be taken to a waiting area and then the test ran. The people are then told to wait again as results will be back within 30 to 40 minutes. This will allow for a more accurate picture of the breakout within Western New York.

“I’m encouraging everyone to get tested,” Rosas said. “It’s free, and quick and will give many peace of mind I think. I’ve sent emails out to all my department heads encouraging them to have them get their staff and their families tested.”

On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will deploy a “testing SWAT team” to Western New York to address the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the region.

The team will open free rapid testing sites across the region in partnership with Kaleida Health, Erie County Medical Center, and Catholic Health. Eight new testing sites will open on Saturday, including the training grounds at 665 Brigham Road.

Sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Saturday through Wednesday. All residents are eligible for tests and appointments can be made by calling 833-NYSTRNG (697-8764).

New York state will deploy 50 rapid testing machines to support the effort and will deploy more as needed. All tests are free of charge and the results will support the contact tracing efforts being conducted to monitor and control the virus spread.