August 7, 2024 — June 10, 2024, began as a normal day for OPWDD Occupational Therapist and PEF Council Leader Carrie Saunders. She was on her way to see a client on Cleveland Street, which is about two miles away from the Developmental Disability Service Office (DDSO) on Vandalia Avenue in Brooklyn where she most often works.
It was still early in the morning when she got a call from a colleague alerting her that a fire had broken out back at the office. Saunders, the council leader for Division 244, immediately worried for the safety of her members and rushed to the building. When she arrived, she saw several fire trucks, but only some of her members were safely outside.
The fire, which began at 730 Vandalia Avenue, spread to 750 Vandalia Avenue, where the Brooklyn DDSO is located. Thankfully, no PEF members were in the direct path of the fire, and it did not spread into the offices themselves. However, Saunders, seeing the damage, went into the buildings where she knew PEF members and other OPWDD employees were working to make sure they were safe.
“Thankfully the fire did not get to the union office or anywhere else where the members were,” said Saunders. “But the sprinklers were causing a ton of damage. Everything was wet. And there were still members inside, but there was no management telling them to leave.”
Saunders has worked for New York State for 46 years. She said that during that time, it has become a little more common to not see management during disasters or when they are needed the most. Before the fire, there was an earthquake in March, which caused distress and unsafe conditions at the office.
“They told us that we had to shelter in place,” recalled Saunders. “There was a member who was having a panic attack. I told her and others to leave the building and get to safety.”
During the June fire, Saunders instructed members to leave the building as the sprinkler system saturated everything and debris fell from the ceiling. After checking cubicles and offices to make sure the building was empty, she finally left herself.
“There were so many of our members in there unsure of what to do. No one was there to help them,” Saunder said.
There were no injuries and Saunders said that management has told members to telecommute, or temporarily reassigned them to work at other DDSOs in New York City pending repairs to the Vandalia Avenue location.
Saunders is working with the PEF Health & Safety department as well as field representatives and Executive Board member Gwendolyn Culpepper to set up a walkthrough after repairs at the office are completed to ensure the workplace is safe.
Saunders said that she is not a hero and does not want to be painted as one. She just did what she thought was right.
“It’s an instinct,” Saunders said. “I do and did what I should’ve done as a PEF member and a division leader.”