INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Board of Health received 4,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Its top priority is vaccinating first responders like firefighters and EMS workers who are on the frontlines.

Hundreds of firefighters, like Isaiah Hernandez of the North Royalton Fire Department, came out to the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine distribution Tuesday.

It was the second of three days of the first responder vaccination efforts in Cuyahoga County. This time, it was at the Independence Fire Department outside Cleveland.

"As it long as it helps my family and can protect my patients, I’m OK with it,” said Hernandez.

After the shot, each first responder is asked to wait in an on-site recovery area for 15 minutes to make sure there are no adverse reactions.

“No different than anybody else. We’re not special people. We’re just, we’re lucky and fortunate enough to be helping out others," said Hernandez.

Chiefs like Mike Lasky of the Parma Fire Department said it’s important to lead by example.

“Sending a message to everybody about how important it was for department to get it done,” he said.

Chief Lasky said the pandemic has hit them hard. Eighteen of his firefighters have contracted COVID-19, and he said 70 percent of the department is interested in the vaccine.

“This vaccine came out at a great time,” said Chief Lasky.

The shot symbolizes another layer of protection to combat the virus when firefighters answer the call in an emergency.

“The simplest shot I’ve ever gotten in my entire life. So, it worked out very well that something this non-invasive could be this life saving to somebody in the future," said T.J. Martin of the Parma Fire Department.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health employees and paramedics, like Broadview Heights Assistant Fire Chief Joe Fleming, are in charge of the inoculations.

It’s something he never thought he’d do.

"No, I really never did,” Fleming said. “I mean, we learn how to give these shots in paramedics school but we don’t do it very often on the ambulance so this is, finally getting to use our skills.”

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health oversees 58 communities.

The hope is when the vaccine is more readily available to the public, paramedics will help administer shots.

“We’re hopeful that by incorporating the EMS personnel into administering vaccine with us today that we’re giving them just very practical experience to kind of get themselves back into the swing of administering shots and caring for people in this manner," said Kevin Brennan of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

The city of Cleveland has its own health department.

On Christmas Eve, some Cleveland fire and EMS workers got their first shot of the Moderna vaccine.

But police officers are not part of Ohio’s first phase in the vaccination rollout.

“I believe I can speak for our brothers and sisters in the police force that they would want us to be protected just as we would want them to be protected, so I don’t think there’s any animosity that’s built up and they know it’s part of the governmental red tape that they have to endure,” said Martin.

Wednesday, a similar drive-thru vaccine effort is happening in Westlake at the Columbia Road Fire Station.

“I think everybody’s really on board. We’re very happy that we’re finally able to do something from a proactive stance," said Brennan.