'I Was Caught Working Safely ...'

Your Home Emergency Supply Kit

The time to prepare for a hurricane is well in advance, before you hear the warnings from your local media. Be sure to inventory your Home Emergency Supply Kit. In the COVID-19 environment, it is recommended that you add cloth face masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies to your kit.

Many hurricane supplies are tax free May 29 through June 4. 

HOME EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

Keep items in an airtight bag and put your disaster supply kits into one or two easy-to-carry containers such as a plastic box with lid and handle, a duffel bag, or a backpack. Update your kit each year and rethink your needs at that time. Check off supplies when added to your kit:

  Food and water
  Manual can opener
  Utensils
  First Aid Kit
  Flashlight
  Battery-operated Radio
  Batteries – AAA, AA, C, D, other
  Cash in small denominations and coins
  Unscented liquid household bleach (for water purification)
  Personal hygiene articles: toilet paper, Handi-wipes, soap, feminine supplies

  Sturdy shoes

  Heavy gloves

  Warm clothes, a hat, rain gear

  A local map

  Extra eyeglasses, hearing aids, other vital personal items

  Plastic sheeting, duct tape, utility knife (for covering broken windows)
  Tools including pliers, a shut-off wrench (for turning off utilities, if needed)

  Blanket or sleeping bag
  Extra keys to your house or vehicle

  A copy of important documents and phone numbers
  Paper towels, aluminum foil
  Fire extinguisher

  Paper, pencils, pens
  Various sizes of plastic bags for waste and sanitation
  Diapers and other items for babies and children (if needed)
  Special-needs items for family members with mobility problems, such as an extra

  cane or manual wheelchair in case there is no power for recharging
  Tent or tarp for shelter
  Matches in a waterproof container
  Pet supplies – food, litter, disposable waste bags, pet medication (if needed)
  Plastic storage container
  Signal flare
  Needles and thread

FIRST AID KIT

  2 pairs of disposable gloves
  Sterile dressings and gauze bandages

  Cleansing agent – soap and antibiotic towelettes
  Antibiotic ointment
  Adhesive tape – 2-inch width
  Eye wash solution, eye drops
  Scissors and tweezers
  Over-the-counter medicines (aspirin, pain reliever, laxative, anti-diarrhea, antacid)
  Daily prescriptions (insulin, heart medicine, asthma inhalers)
  Prescribed medical supplies (glucose monitor, blood pressure equipment)

WATER

Store one gallon of water per person and per pet per day
Seal containers in a food grade plastic container, label w/date, store in cool, dark place

Rotate water supplies every 6 months to prevent bacteria in microscopic container cracks 

Keep a small bottle of unscented liquid bleach to purify water. Add eight drops of bleach to one gallon of water. Shake or stir and then allow to stand for 30 minutes.

PET CARE

For each pet, get a carrier or crate for the pet to stand up turn around inside.
Have a leash or muzzle on hand to help control your dog.
Newspapers, plastic bags, cleansers, and kitty litter and disinfectant available for waste
Sufficient amounts of pet food, water, and special medications on hand

Be sure your pet’s rabies, other vaccinations are current. The collar needs a license tag.
Gather your pet’s ID and medical records and store in a waterproof package.
Include a recent photo of you and your pet with a description and copy of current vaccinations.

Ask local shelters if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster.

  

FOOD

Store enough emergency food to feed your family for at least three days:

  

Ready-to-eat canned proteins or meats, fruits, vegetables
Canned or boxed juices, milk, soup
High-energy foods such as peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix        

Hard candy, sweetened cereals, candy bars, cookies 

Dried foods (avoid high salt content

Instant meals that do not require cooking or water
Portable propane stove and propane bottles
Vitamins
Protein or fruit bars, nuts
Storage sacks with zipper storage bags and utensils such as a picnic knife

'I Was Caught Working Safely ...'

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Hurricane Prep: One Call Does It All

As you know, the official start of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1. While we cannot control Mother Nature, we can prepare for tropical weather and ensure that we have important phone numbers readily at hand.

The USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline (888-EMERGNC or 888-363-7462) is the system the Postal Service uses in the event of an emergency. It’s the official source of information for weather issues, work schedule changes, and facility status. The hotline number is on the back of your employee identification badge. It’s also a good idea to keep this number in your mobile device and on your home computer. 

If you are deaf or hard of hearing and use Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS), call a Florida TRS toll-free number, and the TRS operator will interact with the hotline application on your behalf. Phone numbers include 1-800-955-8770 (Voice), 1-800-955-8771 (TTY), and 1-877-955-5334 (Speech-to-Speech).            

Enhancements to the hotline have created a more interactive process to account for employees’ safety. If you evacuate or relocate due to an emergency, call the hotline number, and then after you enter your facility’s 3-digit ZIP Code, press “5.” You will be routed to an individual who can verify that you are in a safe environment. Those individuals will relay the employee information to District and Area leadership.

'What Security Means to Me!'

Presenting Our Jensen Beach Heroes

"Heroes Work Here!" proclaim #PostalProud Jensen Beach Post Office employees as they practice social distancing. . 

Florida City Seeks Ad-Hoc Manager

Florida City is the last stop on the mainland north  of the Florida Keys. It’s also the southernmost city, which is not an island, in the United States. And if you’re an EAS employee who seeks delivery and retail experience, you could be selected for an ad-hoc assignment as Manager, Customer Services, EAS-20, at the Florida City Post Office at 1000 Palm Drive.

    

This ad-hoc opportunity, not to exceed one year,   is posted nationwide for all qualified EAS career postal employees.  Work hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday as non-scheduled days.            

                

FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE: Manages, usually with the assistance of subordinate supervisors for distinct functional areas, the activities of a medium size classified carrier station or branch with a large number of employees providing delivery and collection services within, or sometimes beyond a normal geographic area, through a large number of routes; window and box services; mail distribution and dispatch; and the processing or sale of non-postal products.

REQUIREMENTS:

1.  Knowledge of postal policies, procedures, and practices related to personnel actions, safety, and maintenance of facilities and vehicles.

2.  Knowledge of provisions in the current collective bargaining agreement, including those related to overtime, corrective action, and grievance resolution.

3.  Knowledge of postal operations in carrier stations, including delivery and collection service, window and box service, and mail distribution and dispatch.

4.  Knowledge of accounting functions and budgeting activities.

5.  Ability to manage, including planning, organizing, directing and monitoring programs, projects, and the work of people to meet organizational goals.

6.  Ability to communicate orally and in writing at a level sufficient to consult with representatives of employee organizations, to assist commercial mailers in resolving problems, and to give performance feedback to subordinates.

7.  Ability to evaluate staffing and training needs.

8.  Ability to identify and resolve operational and administrative problems.

9.  Ability to analyze data for the purpose of evaluating operational performance and identifying deficiencies.

HOW TO APPLY: Employees interested must submit their eCareer profile, along with a summary of accomplishments addressing the above requirements. All applications should be mailed for receipt by Close of Business (COB) Saturday, June 6, to Homestead Postmaster Ilia Gonzalez, 739 Washington Ave, Homestead, FL 33033-9998.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

35 Years and Counting ...

Miami Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) Plant Manager Don Shandor poses with his 35-year Service Award and Pin.

'What Safety Means to Me!

One Call Does It All --- 888-363-7462

The USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline (888-EMERGNC or 888-363-7462) is the system the Postal Service uses in the event of an emergency. It’s the official source of information for weather issues, work schedule changes, and facility status.

The hotline number is on the back of most employee badges. If your badge does not have  the number, record it for future use on paper, put it in your mobile device, or on your home computer.

Enhancements to the hotline have created a more interactive process to account for employees’ safety. If you evacuate or relocate due to an emergency, call the hotline number, and then after  you enter your facility’s 3-digit ZIP Code, press “5.” You will be routed to an individual who can verify that you are in a safe environment. Those individuals will relay the employee information to District and Area leadership.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing and use Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS), call a Florida TRS toll-free number, and the TRS operator will interact with the hotline application on your behalf.

FLORIDA TRS Provider – Sprint

Customer Service #: 1-800-955-8013 (V/T)

Access #s: 1-800-955-8770 (V)

1-800-955-8771 (T)

1-877-955-5334 (STS)              

'I Was Caught Working Safely ...'

USPS Has New Mission Statement

The Postal Service now has a mission statement that describes the organization’s history, its duties and its status as an essential part of the federal government.

In April, the USPS Board of Governors adopted the mission statement — the first in the Postal Service’s history — as part of the governors’ work to conduct long-range planning and set strategic policy for the organization.

“For more than two centuries, the Postal Service has helped bind the nation together by providing prompt, reliable and efficient delivery services. The new mission statement reflects these values and articulates the organization’s vital role as a trusted part of the federal government in every community across the nation,” said Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan.

The statement describes three parts of the Postal Service’s mission:

• To serve the American people and, through its universal service obligation, bind the nation together by maintaining and operating its unique, vital and resilient infrastructure
• To provide trusted, safe and secure communications and services between the government and the American people, businesses and their customers, and the American people with each other
• To serve all areas of the nation, making full use of evolving technologies

Additionally, the statement explains how USPS will carry out its mission, including remaining an integral part of the U.S. government and providing all Americans with universal and open access to its unrivaled delivery and retail network; using technology, innovation and, where appropriate, private-sector partnerships to meet its customers’ changing needs; operating in a modern, efficient and effective manner; and remaining an employer of choice, including attracting and retaining high-quality employees.

The Postal Service’s mission and purpose are also described in Section 101 of Title 39 of the U.S. Code, originally enacted in 1970.

The full mission statement is available on usps.com.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Honoring Coronavirus Victims, Observing Memorial Day

On May 21, President Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the coronavirus pandemic.

Flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset Sunday, May 24.

Additionally, there are flag requirements for Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

Postal Service facilities that are open on the holiday must fly the U.S. flag at half-staff.

The U.S. flag must be flown at half-staff from sunrise — or the hour when it’s raised — until noon. Then, hoist the flag to the peak of the staff, where it either must fly until the time of closing or no later than sunset (unless the flag is lighted).

When the U.S. flag is flown at half-staff, all other flags must fly at half-staff, too.

Facilities that fly the flag at all times and are closed Memorial Day should lower the flag to half-staff when the facility closes prior to the holiday. Return the flag to full staff when the facility opens Tuesday, May 26.

For more information, refer to the Postal Service’s guidelines for U.S. flag display and maintenance, as well as requirements for displaying the POW-MIA flag.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Memorial Day: Flags at Half-Staff

Memorial Day, a federal holiday to remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, is Monday, May 25.

Facilities that are open on the holiday must fly the U.S. flag at half-staff, with the POW-MIA flag below the U.S. flag.

The U.S. flag and POW-MIA flag must be flown at half-staff from sunrise — or the hour when they are raised — until noon. Then, hoist the flags to the peak of the staff, where they either must fly until the time of closing or no later than sunset (unless the flags are lighted).

Facilities that are closed Memorial Day should lower the flags to half-staff when the facility closes prior to the holiday. Return the flags to full staff when the facility opens Tuesday, May 26.

For more information, please refer to the guidelines in Section 472 of the Administrative Support Manual at https://blue.usps.gov/cpim/ftp/manuals/asm/html/asmc4_020.htm.

Thanking Our Postal Nurses

James Irizarry, son of Manager, Learning Development and Diversity Myriam Irizarry and Weston Branch Manager, Customer Services James Irizarry colored a picture of a nurse.

"Everyone is thanking the letter carriers and the hospital nurses, but might be forgetting the nurses at the Post Office," said the young Irizarry.  "I wanted to make someone's day."

Occupational Health Nurse Administrator Lavonda Brennan-Smith (top photo) and Occupational Health Nurse Yanes Legra (bottom photo) appreciated the thoughtful gesture and posed with their pictures. 

Photo: Myriam Irizarry

Jupiter Employees to the Rescue

During an office break at the Jupiter Post Office, Letter Carrier Chavon Brown shared that her daughter needed a computer for homeschooling due to COVID-19. The school district issued computers to every student --- except for Brown's daughter. 

Due to Brown's work schedule and her commitment to deliver the mail, she didn't make it to the school in time to pick up a computer. There were none remaining. Employees in the above photo quickly gathered their resources and ensured that Brown's daughter had a computer for her school work.

"This gesture was a demonstration of the great support employees provided to a co-worker during this pandemic," said Jupiter Postmaster Patricia Copeland. "We support each other."

Celebrating the Harlem Renaissance

With a nod to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, the U.S. Postal Service today is issuing new postage stamps honoring the lives and legacies of four of the movement’s greatest voices: novelist Nella Larsen; writer, philosopher, educator and arts advocate Alain Locke; bibliophile and historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg; and poet Anne Spencer. T

The Postal Service has canceled the first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Voices of the Harlem Renaissance stamps due to social distancing guidance. News of the stamps is being shared using the hashtags #HarlemRenaissanceStamps and #HarlemRenaissance.

The stamps feature stylized pastel portraits of the four honorees, based on historic photographs. Each stamp incorporates African-inspired motifs as background elements. The design elements reflect the increased interest in African culture, history and aesthetics shown by the writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance. The artist for these stamps was Gary Kelley, and art director Greg Breeding designed them.

Background on Voices of the Harlem Renaissance

After World War I, many highly creative African Americans flocked to the New York City neighborhood of Harlem, where the northward migration of African Americans looking for work, immigration from the Caribbean and the presence of important activist organizations had all helped to establish Harlem as a bustling center of black life. Caught up in a whirl of friendships and rivalries, a legendary social scene and an inspiring air of creative exchange, a dynamic community of African Americans brought forth an exceptional flourishing of literature, music and the visual arts. By no means restricted to New York City, the creative energy that found its strongest expression in Harlem during the 1920s was also evident in Chicago; Washington, DC; and other communities where African Americans sought to articulate their experiences and give shape to their dreams.

New generations of African American artists and writers created work that reflected the changing times. Fostering some of the great American literary voices of the early 20th century, the Harlem Renaissance firmly established African Americans as a vital force in literature and the arts.

In two novels, Nella Larsen (1891-1964) explored the complex experiences of mixed-race people and questions of identity and belonging. Now considered one of the most important novelists of the Harlem Renaissance, Larsen challenged conventional thinking, and her work continues to invite interpretations from previously neglected points of view.

Writer, philosopher, educator and arts advocate Alain Locke (1885-1954) was a vital intellectual figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Locke wrote and edited some of the most significant publications of the movement, and he played a leading role in supporting and promoting writers and artists.

An ardent bibliophile and self-taught historian, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938) demonstrated the worldwide contributions of people of African descent. By tirelessly collecting books, documents, artwork and other materials, Schomburg rescued black history from obscurity and preserved priceless cultural knowledge for future generations.

Known for unconventional imagery that evokes nature, gardening, religion and myth, poet Anne Spencer (1882-1975) provided a haven for African American writers and intellectuals in her Virginia garden and home, a reminder that the artistic and cultural life of the Harlem Renaissance extended far beyond New York City.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Here's an Ad-Hoc Opportunity in WPB

Are you looking to broaden your horizons in the Customer Services function? If so, West Palm Beach Postmaster Ernest Onody wants to hear from you. 

All qualified EAS career postal employees service-wide may be considered for an ad-hoc assignment (not to exceed one year) as  Manager, Customer Services EAS-22 at the Palms Central Carrier Annex, 818 S Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL. 

Work hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday as non-scheduled days. 

Functional Purpose: Manages, with assistance of a large number of subordinate supervisors, the activities of a very large carrier station with a very large number of employees providing delivery and collection services within or beyond a normal geographic area, through a very large number of carrier routes; retail services; mail distribution and dispatch; and Post Office Box service. 

Requirements: 

1. Knowledge of postal operations in carrier stations, including delivery and collection, retail sales and service, mail distribution and dispatch, and Post Office Box services.
2. Knowledge of provisions of the national agreement as they apply to delivery operations.
3. Knowledge of management and budgeting techniques and principles.
4. Ability to manage the work of others in order to meet production and quality goals, including planning and scheduling, monitoring performance, facilitating the flow of information, and providing technical guidance.
5. Ability to coach and train subordinate supervisors in customer services and delivery operations.
6. Ability to implement and/or oversee programs in compliance with established safety policies and security procedures.
7. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of employee labor organizations.
8. Ability to communicate orally and in writing sufficient to investigate and resolve customer complaints, and to furnish information to community businesses and governmental agencies regarding postal services.

How to Apply: Employees must submit their eCareer profile, along with a summary of accomplishments addressing the above requirements. Send your application to Ernest Onody, Postmaster, West Palm Beach, 3200 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33406-9998 by COB, Thursday, May 28, 2020.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Thanking the Fort Pierce 'Mail Lady'

Fort Pierce Rural Carrier Tonette Fiaschi received the above cards and a note of appreciation from grateful customers on her route.

WPB SSA Retires After 36 Years

West Palm Beach Main Office Window Unit Sales and Services Associate Larry Battle (center) has retired after 36 years of dedication to his customers. West Palm Beach Postmaster Ernie Onody (right) presented him with his Retirement Certificate. Onody and Supervisor, Customer Services Stacey Hill (left) thanked Battle for his service and wished him a healthy and happy retirement.

'What Safety Means to Me!'

Mailbox Improvement Week: 5/17-23

The U.S. Postal Service is asking all South Florida homeowners to inspect and repair their mailboxes during Mailbox Improvement Week, May 17–23.

Some of the typical activities homeowners may need to do include:

-- Replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door.

-- Repainting a mailbox that may have rusted or has started to peel.

-- Remounting a loosened mailbox post.

-- Replacing or adding house numbers.

If a homeowner plans to install a new mailbox or replace a worn one, he or she must use only Postal Service–approved traditional, contemporary or locking full/limited service mailboxes. Customers must be careful when purchasing curbside mail receptacles because the use of unapproved boxes is prohibited. Customers may use a custom-built mailbox, but they must consult with their local Post Office to ensure it conforms to guidelines applying to flag, size, strength, and quality of construction.