Originally Posted by
Lara21
I've got a solution for this problem. Just fix some rooms up at the airport for CBP workers to stay in and when a big snowstorm is coming that is going to cause what happened this time. They can call in some CBP workers to come in before the storm hits and they can stay at the airport. Then CBP workers will already be available there when a flight comes in and the passengers need to get off the plane.
That's why my agency does. They send out a mass email letting people know it's available. Cafeteria's also open 24/7 during those times.
Originally Posted by
CitizenTerrorist
It's a completely different story in NYC. First, it may not have been CBP that was having major issues. Second, even if it was mostly a CBP issue you can require everything in the world, and if it is impossible for people to get in and impossible to get to those people to bring them in there is nothing you can do. Firing half your staff because they didn't show up for a storm in which half of the city's ambulances got stuck just isn't feasible. It's different in other areas because it's generally a case of emergency snow routes getting cleared and exempting "required" personnel from snow emergency rules. New York can be impossible in that scenario because it's so heavily dependent on transit and because in the case of this storm, the emergency routes weren't even getting cleared because of abandoned vehicles.
Oh, and if it wasn't CBP but rather PA or MTA or ground crew that screwed it up it will NEVER change. Unions own the NY state legislature and nothing regarding local government employees will change in the near future.
My suggestion is, next time NYC experiences a blizzard, Bloomberg should announce that abandoned vehicles won't be towed but carried by forklift or front-end loader and dumped in the east river. But then again, I'm an evil person
I disagree. I live in the DC area and emergency/essential personnel were expected to be there at my agency. If that meant you didn't go home before the storm hit, well, that's what you signed on for. Bring some clothes and a towel. Hit the cots in the cafeteria party room and the showers are in the gym. The mission doesn't stop for the weather, and neither does the adversary. DC got hit with a much worse blizzard than this last February and the mission still went on.
I know Flies has packed his bag and brought it with him when he knew he might not make it home for a few days. I've worked with other people who have done the same too.
Bottom line: if you don't want to risk staying over and having to work like this, then don't sign up to be emergency/essential personnel.