Editor's note: The story below contains information provided by a source who asked to remain anonymous for fear of employer retaliation.
BELL COUNTY, Texas — We're seeing some temporary relief from the oppressive heat, but for some postal workers in Bell County, they say the heat is making for dangerous working conditions.
"We have over say about 80 vehicles in all three of our post offices, and not one of them air conditioners work," A local U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, who asked to remain anonymous, said to 25 News. "But we have air conditioning units in the vehicles."
Warnings he says have been ignored despite high heat and humidity making for an inhumane work environment.
"If it's hot outside and outside, it's about double inside the truck," he said. "It's not worth it to be struggling to breathe and just going, through this heat or wave like this and they're not doing anything."
And there's good reason to be afraid. A Postal Service letter carrier died Tuesday from what authorities suspect may have been heat-related illness while he was delivering mail the streets of a Dallas suburb.
Eugene Gates, Jr. had worked for the service for 36 years, when he suddenly collapsed in a neighborhood in Lakewood. A homeowner witnessed Gates in distress and performed CPR.
The heat index in Dallas reached 115 degrees, which broke a record for the DFW metro set back in 1980.
The employee we spoke with said he was deeply saddened to hear of Gates' death but says his supervisors give he and his coworkers few resources to stay cool.
"We're basically trapped in these trucks all day," the employee said. "So God bless the ones that's out here having to walk these 10 miles and 12 miles a day in this heat every day, constantly."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service told 25 News employee safety is a "top priority" but did disclose only 34 percent of the agency's fleet has air conditioning.
Without air conditioning in the recent heat wave, the Bell County employee claims the extreme heat has sent several of his co-workers to the emergency room.
"I was a soldier so I don't complain much, I got tough skin," the Postal Service carrier said. "I was staying there like about to just go crazy and during the summer we'll have to basically just burn up."
The service said its new fleet of vehicles, known as the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles or NGDVs, all have air conditioning. However, the agency said in May those vehicles won't be delivered until next year, according to a report by Reuters.
"It's crazy, you gotta work this spot, so you have to do what you gotta do," the Bell County employee said. "But at the same time, there's no way you should have to. No one should lose their life working for their family."
The U.S. Postal Service sent this response to 25 News about the Bell County mail carrier's claims:
“Our carriers deliver the mail throughout the year during varying temperatures and climatic conditions. This includes during the summer months when the temperatures rise throughout the country. The safety of our employees is a top priority and the Postal Service has implemented a national Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) for all employees. In connection with the HIPP, the Postal Service provides mandatory heat-related and other safety training and instruction to all employees and assures they have the resources needed to do their jobs safely. Carriers are reminded to ensure they’re hydrated, wear appropriate clothing, including hats, get in the shade whenever possible, and to take sufficient amounts of water and ice with them out on their routes. Carriers are further instructed to contact 9-1-1 in the event they begin experiencing any symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and they are provided with information to help them identify the symptoms associated with these two forms of heat illness.
Since 2003, all motor vehicles purchased by the Postal Service have been equipped with air conditioning. Thirty four percent of all current postal vehicles have air conditioning. The Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) used by many Postal Service carriers did not come equipped with air conditioning features from the manufacturers, and were purchased through the early 1990s. As of April 2022, 153,000 LLVs and Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) were still in operation, and all have fans.
The Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) will feature air conditioning among other features including improved ergonomics, and some of the most advanced vehicle and safety technology — including 360-degree cameras, advanced braking and traction control, air bags and a front-and-rear-collision avoidance system that includes visual, audio warning and automatic braking.”
