(audio)”We handle every emergency or everything in the city that any other agency says they can't handle. Right. DPW shows up and they see something they call the fire department. The police show up, they don't like it, they call the fire department. You know, the gas company shows up, they call the fire department. I mean, we get cats out of trees. We go on the gas leaks, we go on shootings, we go along infectious control cases. We go to fires, we go to collapses, we go to high angles, you know, I mean, if it could happen in the city, we're probably the only agency that is consistently on every type of incident. Right? I mean, that's just, it's the nature of the beast.”
That’s Dabney Hudson, president of Fire Fighters Local 36, which represents nearly 1,700 DC fire fighters and first responders. These are folks who deal with crises every day, so I asked Dabney earlier this week for advice on how to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. (audio) “The biggest thing people can do, and I mean, I'm not even gonna lie. I didn't know the full depth of it until dealing with the cases we have internal in the firehouse. It was funny, one of my buddies at the international lives up near Meridian Hill park and we were texting back and forth on Friday and he’s like ‘You wouldn't believe it. There's 200 people out here in workout clothes, drinking wine, and in the middle of the park.’ You know, that's the response, right? Like everybody's thinking it's the day off from work. There might be working from home, but like the social distancing thing is huge, this stuff does spread. I mean, it is no joke, right? Like we know that it gets around communities and gets around communities fast. The problem is people may have, if they may be a carrier, they're not symptomatic. So they think all things are fine, you know, and they're going to the friend's house and doing whatever. Next thing you know, we've got 15 people that show up positive. Stay vigilant on that whole social distancing thing. Be clean. I mean, I know that sounds bad, but wash your hands cause like all that stuff is real.” Dabney Hudson, president of Fire Fighters Local 36, with some really solid advice on how to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. We’ll have more of our conversation on this week’s edition of Your Rights At Work, today at 1 o’clock, here on WPFW. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1868, San Francisco brewery workers began a 9-month strike as local employers followed the union-busting lead of the National Brewer’s Association and fired their unionized workers, replacing them with scabs. Two unionized brewers refused to go along, kept producing beer, prospered wildly and induced the Association to capitulate. A contract benefit since having unionized two years earlier, and certainly worth defending: free beer. Today’s labor quote is by Jean Ross, President of National Nurses United, warning of the risk to our nation if nurses don’t get the protective equipment they need. Jean Ross, who said: “We don’t want to see a health care system devoid of health care workers.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus, which stands up for union members and their families. At unionplus.org you’ll find useful links to coronavirus resources from the AFL-CIO, as well as Union Plus Hardship Help Benefits. Check it out at unionplus.org
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Union City Radio is proud to be supported by UnionPlus, which has been working hard for union families since 1986.
Union City Radio is part of The Labor Radio/Podcast Network
Listen now...UC Radio airs weekdays at 7:15a on WPFW 89.3 FM; subscribe to the podcast here. |