Holiday Heroes: Trash Collection in the City of Richmond

Star Rowland, Ramon Singletary, and Christopher Brown will tell you immediately that their jobs are primarily about communication. "Trust plays a huge factor," Chris explains, and Star agrees. "You make a bond with the folks on the truck."

As a trash collection driver, Star's role is to get collectors like Ramon and Chris to the next site safely and to be an extra set of eyes while they load up the truck.

A day in Trash Collection

A workday starts earliest for drivers, especially during cold weather. They check the vehicle and warm it up so that everything is ready to go for the collectors. Then they're off, running a different route each day of the week. They can spend 5 or 6 hours on the truck early in the morning before they bring all the trash back to the transfer station. There, everything gets loaded onto a tractor trailer and goes to the landfill.

There's even more to load up during the holidays. The team notices more trash, and more food waste in particular means more animals. "When I see collectors start rushing, I know there's an animal in the can," Star says. Ramon and Chris have encountered raccoons, squirrels, rats, and even a snake or two on their routes!

Animals are just one of the hazards a Solid Waste team encounters on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists trash collection as one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

"The only way trash collection works is if everybody is watching everybody," Ramon says. "Our lives are on the line every day."

Solid Waste teams are trained and certified in safety strategies, but keeping our trash collectors safe should be a community-wide effort. Here are some simple things you can do to help collection teams gather your trash quickly and safely.

• Drive carefully around collection vehicles. Drivers are working hard to keep their collectors safe, and their lines of sight are limited. Support the safety of our workforce by slowing down and keeping eyes open for collectors when you see a truck.
• Leave out the dangerous stuff. Most cans have a sticker listing items that can't be thrown away, like gas cans, propane tanks, and hazardous chemicals. Some of these items can damage a truck or cause explosions when they're compacted, and collectors have had chemicals like bleach spray out onto their uniforms. Check out disposal options for those items through the East Richmond Road Convenience Center.
• Bag your trash. The team says that when loose trash goes into a can, wind can send it flying. It's also more likely that an animal will get into the refuse. Tie your bags closed before dropping them into your can. "We're trash collectors, but we shouldn't have to clean up after folks," Star says.
• Place the can at the edge of your property on collection day. It can be unsafe for collectors to walk through a property to get a can, and it slows down an already tight schedule. Check your collection day and make sure cans are ready to go that morning. If you have mobility challenges that make moving your can difficult, you can review the City's Back Door Service policy to see if you're eligible.
• Reduce the weight of each can. When lids are regularly open and overflowing, water can get in and weigh down trash. Same with bulk items; the truck tippers can snap off if they lift a can that's too heavy. Order another can by calling 311, and make sure your larger items go to bulk collection instead.
• Read your notes. When collectors notice an issue with your can, they'll often leave a green or orange ticket on top of the can. If you spot a colorful card, take the time to read it. Most often, the collectors are trying to help someone replace a broken can, which is quick and free. The team says it's rewarding when they come back the following week and see a new can. It means someone read their message and followed the guidance!

A few small habit changes from residents-and a little more awareness of the people who take on this vital role-can make a big positive impact on a collection team's workday. And a little more awareness of the people who take on this vital role helps us all keep our neighborhoods clean. "You gotta keep trash on schedule," says Ramon. "It keeps society running."

What's the best part of trash collection work? 

The kids! The students on Chris's route like to hear the horn honked each week, and Ramon shouts out the little girl on his route who's named their truck Wilbur.

Dear Richmond,

After 100 days as Mayor Avula’s appointee as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Richmond, I remain excited, encouraged, and focused on delivering an even more vibrant Richmond. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mayor Avula, the Richmond City Council, staff, the business, philanthropic, and faith-based communities, regional partners, and the many Richmonders I have< had an opportunity to connect with across the City, for allowing me the opportunity to serve the Commonwealth’s capital.

The first months that follow an appointment bring a flood of unexpected demands, and how time gets managed during this window of time will shape our collective effectiveness for years to come. The first 100 days are often thought of as a sprint, but instead, with Mayor Avula’s guidance, we have used this time to methodically set long-term patterns, build trust, and strengthen core capacities. The Avula administration has created an aggressive agenda focused on putting the necessary infrastructure in place to govern a rapidly evolving city.

With that said, fiscal sustainability, infrastructure, education, and public safety are always at the forefront of government service. Despite an array of historical challenges, signs of progress are everywhere. In the pages that follow, you will see documented signs of that progress, as well as details on the Avula administration’s initial analysis focused on fiscal sustainability, improved operations, continued improvements in public safety, and affordability issues. The first 100 days solidify efforts to build a foundation.

In partnership with our Mayor and the Richmond City Council we are taking action to deliver a world-class city where everyone matters, setting a solid foundation benefitting generations to come. At a time when cities across the country are navigating uncertainty ranging from housing pressures to shrinking federal support - Richmond has a choice: fold to challenges or build the future we deserve. My first 100 days as Chief Administrative Officer have crystalized that we have the elected leadership, staff capacity, and the support of Richmonders to choose the latter.

• Download the 100 Days Report

In service,

Odie Donald II
Chief Administrative Officer
City of Richmond

RACC wants you to foster fail this Thanksgiving

Are you looking for a cat to cuddle during your post-Thanksgiving food coma? How about a dog who likes to jog for an early morning turkey trot?

Richmond Animal Care and Control has got you covered! Every Thanksgiving, they host a Thanksgiving foster program for residents who are staying put in the City over the holiday. Bonus points if you're planning to "foster fail" or ultimately adopt the pet you agree to foster.

RACC Director Christie Peters says this is one of her favorite programs every year: "We know that every year, some folks are spending Thanksgiving alone or away from family, and we have animals who are spending Thanksgiving alone." She explains that the program also helps shelter staff rotate off to spend some of the holiday with their loved ones while showering a little extra affection on the animals who stay behind.

Even if you can't foster this Thanksgiving, Christie wishes more people knew that RACC is a part of our city's public services. Part of their work in recovering stray animals, behavior assessment, and fostering and adopting is rooted in their charge to preserve public safety. November and December see an uptick in stray animals arriving at the shelter, either because people call with safety concerns or because folks drop animals off.

No matter the time of year, here's how you can help RACC fulfill their mission:

• Reunify before reporting. Christie says that while RACC should be your first call if you come across a sick, injured, or aggressive animal, if you find a friendly stray pet, your first step should be owner reunification. "If you're going to be an active rescuer, take steps to connect with the owner first," she says.
• Consider a RACC animal when you're looking to adopt or foster. On the weekend of November 22 through 24, Spencer Trucking is covering all adoption fees at RACC-it's a great time to get out and meet your next furry pal!
• Keep RACC in mind on Giving Tuesday. The RACC Foundation is the non-profit that supports RACC's work. Donating to the Foundation can help with emergency medical care, volunteer coordination, and even a new adoption center, so that the shelter can care for even more animals who need it.

Stay up to date on all things RACC by following the shelter on Instagram (@racc_shelter) or Facebook, or by subscribing to their monthly newsletter-they're all filled with all the cute animal photos you could want!

For the powerhouse team that staffs Richmond's 911 center, a holiday is a workday, just with some extra good food. As the second busiest Emergency Communications Center in the Commonwealth, they answer thousands of calls for help each week, a pace that rarely slows even when the rest of the city does. ag

"We're never closed," says Wadiya Pearson, a 9-year veteran of Emergency Communications. "Some things just don't change on the holidays. A crash is a crash, babies are still being delivered. We're not going to do our jobs any different. We might be stuffing turkey in our cheeks between calls, but when a person calls in, they have my undivided attention."

Wadiya found her way to emergency dispatching through a family legacy of service. Her relatives have worked in healthcare, law enforcement, and corrections, and so serving her community through emergency communications felt like a natural fit to her. At the same time, dispatchers need extensive training to take on the massive task of fielding emergency calls.

Wadiya and her teammates learn early on how to ask the right series of questions for any given emergency to make sure each caller receives the right kind of help, whether that's an ambulance, fire department support, or a police dispatch. They also learn important skills for helping the caller stay calm during an emergency or how to take care of themselves as they transition out of a difficult call and into the next.

"Everyone is calling for help, and that's what we want to give them," says Wadiya. "We only want to ask you the questions that are most relevant, and the best thing you can do is to answer the questions as they're being asked. If I need more, I'll ask, but following the order makes it much easier for us to get help to you."

With 9 years of service, Wadiya also notices some trends in calls around the holidays and encourages Richmonders to take some simple steps to protect themselves and loved ones:

• Be aware of your surroundings. Wadiya says the holidays bring increased visitors to our city, and you might be traveling yourself. That means emergency callers don't always know the area or the address where they're staying. 911 dispatchers can pull GPS information, but that can take valuable minutes. "When you get to a new place, think about how you would call for help," Wadiya suggests.
• Remove valuables from your car. With shorter days and more holiday shopping, Wadiya notices an increase in calls about thefts from vehicles. If you've purchased gifts, make sure to remove them from your vehicle when you park for the night.
• Use the roads safely. Increased visitors and shopping traffic can also lead to an increase in crashes. Check out the Vision Zero information below, and make a commitment to safe and healthy Richmond streets today!
• Get that flu shot. Wadiya observes increases in calls for wellness checks and emergency needs for illnesses that have become severe. Stave off serious illness before it begins with your annual flu shot.
• Meal prep responsibly. Whether you're cooking with a gas stove or toying with frying that turkey, cold temps and more cooking can lead to gas leaks or structure fires. If you smell gas in your home, call 911 immediately.

Ultimately, Wadiya wants residents to know that when you call 911, you're reaching someone who cares about you and knows you're experiencing something frightening or hard. "We're part of this city, too, and we're in it with you."

Did you know? In Richmond and some surrounding counties, you can also text 911 if you're in a place where you can't call.

Saturday, November 29 is Small Business Saturday, but don't mark your calendar for just that day.

"Small Business Saturday should be every Saturday, if you ask me," says Richmond's Minority Business Development Director Pat Foster. "Small businesses are important parts of creating a community. When you support a small business, you help your community-they are going to hire and work with the people in your community. And their success does increase the taxes, and that goes back to the community, too, in things like parks, public safety."

Pat and her team in the Office of Minority Business Development work diligently behind the scenes to make sure that our business landscapes are strong, especially for folks who might be taking a big new step into entrepreneurship.

"It's a scary space to start a business," explains Lisette Johnson, OMBD's Programs and Operations Supervisor. "We want people to know there's someone who's going to walk them through the steps, who will start a relationship so that we're with them no matter the hurdle or milestone."

OMBD provides a wealth of resources, whether you are considering a new business or you have been in business for a while and are adapting to new technologies:

• Free classes and workshops. Pat is particularly excited about OMBD's recent AI class, a new undertaking. And Lisette is proud of classes that teach entrepreneurs what they need to know to do business with the city, other localities, and other government agencies as a vendor or contractor.
• Personalized, one-on-one support through coaching and business counseling. Entrepreneurs and small business owners meet directly with OMBD staff-professionals who are certified and experienced in areas like contract compliance, human resources, procurement, and small business development. These individualized sessions help business owners identify challenges, explore opportunities, and determine the best next steps for their specific goals and circumstances.
• Networking, loan, and grant support: OMBD connects their business directory with funding opportunities and businesses looking for partners.

OMBD's mission contributes to the Mayoral Action Plan's "Thriving Economy" goals. Most importantly, the staff sees their work reflecting Richmond at its best: "Every locality has something special, but I feel like the City of Richmond, we wrap our arms around the business owner," Lisette says, "We are rooting for them, and their success is our success. This isn't just a paycheck for me and our team, it is a passion."

Pat encourages residents to think about their shopping lists ahead of Small Business Saturday and to be intentional about exploring a new small business to pick up things you already need. Together, we're supporting our local economy and even generational wealth-building. Ultimately, says Pat, "a business is a legacy you can leave behind."

Learn more about the Office of Minority Business Development on their website or on their Facebook or Instagram accounts.