On the Front Lines: Teaming up to clean up
Providing services like yard waste pickup seems simple, but the combination of COVID-19, spring cleaning and storms created an unprecedented amount to clean up. And Solid Waste Services (SWS) stepped up to the challenge with some help from Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT).
When COVID-19 hit, SWS had to change the way they work to protect employees and still provide essential services. For a short time, yard waste pickup was suspended. With residents being stuck at home, many started to do spring cleaning and yard work. And then some bad spring storms came through Charlotte. SWS decided to do a one-time yard waste pickup and it was a lot more than they anticipated.
Solid Waste put out a call for help. CDOT responded with CDL drivers and a few laborers who could come in and help clear some of the yard waste.
LaShonya Walker is the safety coordinator at SWS who oversees the driver trainers and safety team leaders. She says, “CDOT boosted morale by showing up in a time of need.”
Before getting to work, the CDOT drivers had to get a little bit of training in because the SWS trucks and the work is different. SWS set up a training area at the Bojangles’ Coliseum parking lot to make sure they were comfortable with the trucks and they could practice driving the truck safely. Then they were taken into the field to get the feel of navigating tight turns and caul-de-sacs in neighborhoods. They also had to learn to drive safely with technicians riding on the back of the truck, something that CDOT drivers aren’t used to.
Each driver was paired up with a technician. They were provided with all the safety equipment they needed such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant for the trucks. Every day they would get maps of the neighborhoods they were responsible for and if they finished, they could grab another map.
Once on the road and on the route, the work became real. Donald Hairston was one of the CDOT drivers. He says, “Picking up yard waste is different than the work we do. And I have respect for those who do it every day now.”
At first Hairston was just going to drive, but once seeing the technician picking up yard waste alone, he decided to help there as well. And that experience was eye-opening. There was a backup and some yard waste had been sitting around for a while, attracting unexpected inhabitants. While he was on the job, he ran into snakes and ants, something much different than installing a sidewalk.
After a while, he got the hang of it. Even when he thought they were making progress, he realized the SWS crews had the routine down a lot better. He recalled working on one street and multiple trucks were assigned there. There was a 50-foot long pile of yard waste and it was overwhelming. The other trucks came up and got it done in a few minutes.
He was amazed at the work they did. Their routines and processes were slightly different, but SWS was very organized. He also noted how the managers took care of them riding along routes, providing any equipment and water or sports drinks to stay hydrated. He has some new ideas now to bring back to his crew to implement and make their work more efficient.
“It was a great experience for both sides. We appreciated their help and they grew an appreciation for the work that we do.” Says Walker.
The community noticed the work as well.
Thank you to all those that helped with the pickup:
SWS Safety Team: LaShonya Walker, Trevon Rhine, Jaquez Gaskin, James Barber, Terry Richardson, Vince Rogers, Reginald Blount, Terrance Benifield
CDOT Volunteers: Jagarrian Jones, Jordan Parham, Donald Hairston, Phil Skroupski, Joseph McLaughlin, Rick Ardrey, Peter Joyner, Robert McLeod, Ronnie Craig, Joel Simmons, Anthony Litaker, Angela England, David Wilkes, Hazel Walker, Carl Depue, Brian Hyde, Brandon Bednarik, David McLeod, Robert Byrd, William Gillette, Robin Cullins, Leo Ivey, Randal Price, Brenan Clay
