Coming Together for the Safety of Program Participants at The American Hotel Late in the afternoon on October 20, Program Support Workers (PSW) and the Building Manager (BM) at The American became aware of a large amount of bricks having fallen onto the sidewalk from an empty building adjacent to The American Hotel, and emergency crews quickly notified staff that the building would need to be immediately demolished as it was collapsing. We are thankful to share that nobody was hurt. Staff on site, including PSW’s Emily Henry, Shelly Khunkhun, Tanuja Najumi, and BM Marat Ayupov, quickly sprang into action. While the start of that buildings collapse was unplanned, the staff response to ensure safe entry and maintain safety for all for the American was flawless as the main entrance became blocked due to the hazard.
By the time management came to the scene, those same staff had the situation well in hand providing support for the Program Participants at The American through providing safe space to gather, have access to food and water, and access to information as the night unfolded. The team was quickly joined by Raff Bote, Carrie Okines, Tammy Brander, Maricar Angeles, and Jacob Kadziola to further coordinate the efforts and ensure the safety of all. Through the combination of efforts, by 11:30 p.m.,
the empty building had been torn down and Program Participants were safe to go home. We are thankful for the tremendous efforts for all involved in this unexpected event, and the care and dedication shown by the staff at The American and all the help that arrived to ensure a safe outcome. The following week, Jennifer Breakspear visited the American Hotel to debrief with the staff and commended a job well done!
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