Philadelphia, PA, May 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As hospitals are quickly filling up, doctors and nurses are short of time and people need treating. The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EASRCC) stepped up and offered their skill sets and new “COVID-19 Preparedness Training” to help build emergency facilities across the state.
The Carpenters of the EASRCC have the capability to occupy venues and large facilities for treating the unhealthy and sick. By partnering with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the Army Corps of Engineers, health care professionals and first responders, facilities were erected at:
- Bergen New Bridge Medical Center – Paramus, NJ
- Penn Medicine Patient Pavilion - Philadelphia, PA
- Valley Hospital – Ridgewood, NJ
- Cooper University Hospital – Camden, NJ
- Salem Medical Center – Salem, NJ
- Atlantic City Convention Center – Atlantic City, NJ
- New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center – Edison, NJ
- Morristown Medical Center – Morristown, NJ
- Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute – Madison, NJ
- Overlook Medical Center – Summit, NJ
- Hackettstown Medical Center – Hackettstown, NJ
In the midst of this pandemic, EASRCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer William C. Sproule visited the Atlantic City Convention Center to thank the carpenters there and see the facility first hand.
“Here, 250 hospital rooms were built in a day and a half, that’s a heck of an accomplishment,” stated Sproule, “we have to make sure to commend those guys.”
In Philadelphia, Penn Medicine Patient Pavilion [Penn First Project] carpenters are completing the needed work and adapting to the changing times. The healthcare industry need as many beds as possible, so getting these projects off the ground as soon as possible is important. 60 patient rooms were constructed in 10 calendar days.
The EASRCC have taken the necessary measures in order to allow members and their families to remain healthy. One measure being the COVID-19 Preparedness Qualification Online Courses Training. This allows us to educate our members and provide them with knowledge that’ll help them to better protect themselves on the job site. “The trained crew that (built the hospital rooms), also took the UBC COVID Preparedness Test,” explained Sproule. It was a priority to staff those who have the knowledge on how to work safely on a medical job site.
Getting these facilities up and running and treating patients took more than the work of the Union. The US Army Corps of Engineers, as well as FEMA, the Department of Health and State Police, all played a hand in support to fight this virus.
It’s crucial that union workers are provided the training and equipment necessary to complete jobs like these during this time. Construction workers are on the front lines, alongside the doctors, nurses who need all the assistance they can get. Our Council will all get through this pandemic together, stronger and more unified than ever before.
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