Be considerate of shift workers
This letter is to remind people that the safe and healthy functioning of their community relies heavily on first responders.
Police, fire, ambulance and almost all medical disciplines are required to do shift work as part of their jobs. Night work, and chronic sleep deprivation is associated with many physical and mental health problems, including cancer, diabetes, depression and addiction.
In the summer time it is especially difficult to sleep during the day, because of heat, family schedules and noise intrusion. I would challenge anyone who believes that it is their right to operate noisy equipment and vehicles, or to carry on religious solicitation while shift workers are desperately trying to get a bit of rest, to go 24 hours without sleep, then try and do a complex task. Believe me, if you go to an emergency room with a heart attack, or after an accident, you want the ER doctor to be very well rested.
R.C. Lippert
Lake Cowichan
