Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 25, 2011
Postmaster Peter Dechelle emphasizes safety for mail carriers, customers
Erica Tuggle
The Postmaster of Chattanooga, Peter Dechelle, wants the community to know about the convenience the postal service offers with the automated postal center kiosk in the Shallowford road branch that provides many of the clerk services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dechelle also emphasized the community needs to know about safety issues concerning the mail carriers.
- Erica Tuggle
The Chattanooga USPS delivers mail to approximately 104,000 residences, businesses and locations. Postal carriers collect mail from more than 100 blue collection boxes on top of all the residential mail from homes and businesses that raise the little red flag. They also maintain 12 retail units that provide stamps, mailing services and passport services to the community.
The many faceted areas of the post office are under the care of Peter Dechelle, the newly appointed Postmaster of Chattanooga. Dechelle is originally from Miami, Fla. but relocated to Nashville about three years ago before taking the position in Chattanooga.
Dechelle’s mother worked for the USPS, and when Dechelle was 19, he took the rigorous postal test and became a mail handler unloading trucks. Now, he oversees all the delivery and collection of the mail in the Chattanooga area and the “374…” zip code.
Many know that the postal service is weathering the difficult economic times right alongside the public, with decreasing mail volume and the shift to electronics and emails taking their toll.Yet, Dechelle says he still feels the USPS plays a vital part in the communication process of the country.
“We go to every house, every day, and no one else does that,” Dechelle says.
As one can imagine, the task of getting out mail six days a week to every person in a town is difficult and costly. Therefore, the proposed “no Saturday delivery” option is something the postal service is trying to attain to reduce fuel costs and save on work hours.
Dechelle says, “It’s a very difficult challenge because one of our mandates is to provide that universal service every day, everywhere. That’s something that congress will ultimately be the decision maker on.”
The funds it takes to run the mail service are many times mistakenly claimed by tax payers as their very own tax dollars, but Dechelle says the postal service is actually self-funded by the products and services they sell.
“That means we need everyone to get out and send those packages and letters to help us out,” Dechelle says.
There are another couple of messages that Dechelle would like to send out as well, and one of these is about the automated postal center kiosk (APC) located in the main office lobby window of the Shallowford Road post office, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This kiosk allows customers to buy stamps, pay post office box rent and mail packages and letters both domestically and internationally. If customers are too busy to get to the post office during the day or they just need a stamp, this machine will use their debit or credit card to provide these services at any convenient time.
The other thing that Dechelle wants the community to share is his concern about the safety of postal employees. Dechelle says it is important to keep curb line mailbox paths free of obstructions such as garbage cans or parked cars. This helps keep the carriers moving and reduces costs, he says.
When there’s a mailbox on a house or fence, remember that dogs and carriers don’t always get along, and make it easy on a carrier by having Fido safely put away, he says.
“We do everything we can, but we want to make sure the path to and from your mailbox, including stairways and railings, are in good proper shape so as the carrier walks up and back from that, there’s not loose boards or handrails that we don’t know about,” he says.
“I think the most important thing I do every day is make sure that my employees go to work and go home safe. We could talk about cost and service and everything else, but the best service you can ever get is from your regular carrier that knows you, goes to your house every day, and we just want them to be safe and have a good safe working environment,” Dechelle says.
Another way to help with the safety of mail delivery is to be aware of the postal vehicles delivering mail along some of the more narrow roads in Chattanooga, as they move from house to house.
“Sometimes we are stopped and the cars are behind us. Just know that we move, and we want to drive defensively, and we have a great group of carriers here, but ... keep in mind that we are working and moving. Look out for us as we move and we will look out for you as you pass us,” Dechelle says.
With the long hours that postal employees put in, working in all conditions, Dechelle says he likes spending his time off relaxing with his family and riding his motorcycle. Yet, he will be the first to tell you that as a postal employee, he always remembers his safety first.
|
|