October 17, 2019
Last week Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) announced an unprecedented decision to cut power to up to 2 million people over the course of multiple days. The decision was made to limit the possibility of wildfires in Northern California due to the state’s windy conditions in the aftermath of last year’s deadly fires. The company’s announcement sparked an outrage from citizens on social media, while others took their anger and frustration much farther.
As reported by ABC7 News, the PG&E office in Oroville was egged. Several PG&E field personnel were cursed at and even had rocks thrown at them. One unfortunate PG&E employee was shot at while driving a company marked vehicle down the interstate. The news channel reports that the unidentified worker feels he was targeted ahead of the rolling blackouts.
The Sacramento Bee reports, “The safety of our customers and employees is PG&E’s primary responsibility. We know that turning off the power for safety is not popular with some, but it is needed for public safety,” PG&E spokeswoman Brandi Merlo said in a statement emailed to The Sacramento Bee. “Our employees are working hard to ensure that our system operates safely and that power will be restored quickly after the weather passes. We remind our customers that our employees are your neighbors and they are out in our service area doing their jobs.”
Increased fear in many communities prompted families of PG&E’s field personnel to take to social media to plea for the safety of their family members and friends. A KTVU reporter in San Francisco posted video to Twitter of PG&E employees putting up barricades in front of the company’s headquarters building, restricting public access.
PG&E made the difficult and unpopular ruling to implement these rolling blackouts to protect citizens, communities and precious resources. This decision quickly escalated to a situation that the company unlikely was expecting or prepared for. It created a heightened level of fear with not just their field workers, but corporate and office personnel, including employee’s family and friends.
These types of situations prompt employees to question:
Will this happen again? Will it be worse? Will I be shot at next? Is it safe for me to continue to work here? Should I consider other employment? What measures is the company going to take to ensure employee safety moving forward?
While we can’t answer all these questions, Bullet Defense provides an economical and practical solution to offering these employees greater peace of mind. Bullet Defense has shaken up the traditional body armor industry by manufacturing a full line of clothing that protects the head, torso and legs from bullet and knife threats. Unlike other commercially available products, Bullet Defense provides this level of security in comfortable, everyday work clothing – not just bulky vests with inserted plates.
The full product line is designed with the latest Kevlar ballistic fabric that’s 30% lighter, lasts up to 7 years and retails for a fraction of the industry investment. Bullet Defense has a wide selection of products designed specifically for field personnel and corporate campus environments. More information can be found at http://www.bulletdefense.com, a Wonder Hoodie company.
Karrie M. Rockwell