GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Dangerously cold temperatures have most people flocking indoors, but for a number of workers, they have no choice but to brave the elements.
Add U.S. postal carriers to that list.
The men and women delivering mail to homes and businesses throughout the state don’t get a day off because of the cold.
“You have 600 stops on a route, or 500 stops on a route, or 300 stops on a route, that’s your daily route and you have to get those delivered,” explains USPS spokesman Sean Hargadon. “And that’s what you’re supposed to be doing and that’s what they go out and do.”
Sean Hargadon used to be the one out in the elements delivering mail himself.
“I carried mail back when it was 85-degrees-below-zero,” he says. “So it can happen.”
He adds that it takes a tough person to go out for a day’s work in this weather and not everyone is capable of doing it.
“Postal carriers are industrial athletes and there’s something to that,” says Hargadon. “Because when you’re out there six, seven, or eight hours a day, you really have to have some mental toughness to get through the day.”
Those who go out and get it done come back home with a sense of accomplishment, according to Hargadon.
“There’s a certain kind of pride to that as a carrier, because that’s what you do and not everyone can do it,” he explains. “So if you’re out there, in 85-below-zero weather and you’re doing that, it’s impressive.”
A lot of the safety precautions taken by carriers are the same steps that the general public are urged to take if forced to go outside for a prolonged period.
“A lot of layers, as well as face gear,” explains Hargadon. “You don’t want to have any part of your body with skin exposed, because that’s where frostbite can come into play.”
Health officials have urged people across the state to dress in layers, bundle up, and add blankets to vehicles in an effort to protect yourself from frostbite.
While postal carriers will be out doing their job as normal, there are a few things the public can do to make their job easier and protect against potential inconveniences.
“If your mailbox is impeded because there’s just too much snow there, or ice, they probably won’t deliver it and might bring it back and hold it,” says Hargadon.
He adds that the public can also help keep carriers safe by clearing driveways and sidewalks of ice and snow.
