Utah State Senator’s bill proposes to deploy postal workers to help in disaster situations

Karen Mayne, a Democrat Senator in the Utah State Senate, has sponsored a State Bill which proposes that US postal workers could help with emergency response services during a declared disaster. If passed, the Public Safety Emergency Management Amendments Bill (Utah State Legislature SB 57] would authorise the Division of Emergency Management to “conduct a feasibility study regarding establishing a contract with the United States Postal Service” – so it is still very much an idea rather than a definite plan.

The bill was numbered yesterday (5 January) and distributed to the relevant agencies for their “fiscal input”.

Mayne described the bill as a “landmark for Utah”, adding that the intention would be for postal workers to offer “support for our first responders, because if there was an earthquake, or anything like that, they know the community”.