CACEO Calls For Early Access to Covid-19 Vaccine

The following letter is being sent to the California Department of Public Health and all California County Health Officials in order to urge them to allow code enforcement officers early access to the Covid-19 vaccine due to the essential, public facing nature of code enforcement.

The job of a code enforcement officer (CEO) requires daily and close, personal interaction with people from all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels which places them at an increased risk of contracting a variety of communicable diseases. Hepatitis, MRSA, Tuberculosis and HIV, among others, are all pathogens that exist in many of the environments where officers regularly work. Now, CEOs throughout the state have been placed into the role of first responders to investigate violations related to the Coronavirus. Code enforcement officers have now joined medical professionals and other essential first responders in the fight against the spread of this deadly virus. Clearly, these pandemic fighters should be protected just as are their fellow essential frontline workers by having early access to the Covid-19 vaccinations.

Officers interact with people in their private homes, their businesses, in parks, shopping centers, restaurants and any other place people are found. CEOs perform a variety of functions that require close, personal contact with people and their personal belongings. They investigate substandard living conditions, inspect vacant buildings, hotels, gyms and health clubs. They also regularly interact with the homeless and even participate in homeless encampment clean-ups. Officers engaged in these activities have a high probability of contracting any of the previously mentioned afflictions. Now we can add Coronavirus to that list. CEOs are the primary responders to Covid-19 related complaints in most cities and counties throughout the state. They are performing essential frontline duties in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus by enforcing state and local health orders. Even with the outbreak of this deadly virus, CEOs are still performing their “normal” duties, which places them at an even greater risk of contracting Covid-19. Unfortunately, this also presents a risk to the general public. CEOs who may contract the virus, but are asymptomatic, could spread the virus without even knowing it through their normal interactions with the public. Clearly, although most officers are issued basic PPE, they still need and are deserving of additional protections such as early access to Covid-19 vaccinations.

The California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO) represents over 1,600 members and believes all code enforcement officers deserve proper protection from the Coronavirus. CACEO offers blood borne pathogen training classes and encourages its members to attend additional related training classes when available. However, this is not enough to truly protect these public health and safety guardians. CACEO believes that code enforcement officers should be officially classified as first responders and essential frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19. Therefore, they should be placed into the same vaccination tiers as other first responders and essential frontline workers. Undoubtedly, the duties and the environments they work in call for such a classification and protection.

CACEO is seeking the cooperation of local and state health officials to get code enforcement officers early access to Covid-19 vaccinations. CACEO seeks this added protection to ensure that CEOs are part of the solution, not part of the problem, and is hopeful that our health officials are willing to help make that a reality. I look forward to discussing this issue and working collaboratively towards this goal. I can be contacted through our main office located at 1800 J Street in Sacramento, by email at drevier@caceo.us or by telephone at 916-492-2223.

Sincerely,

Darrell Revier
President
California Association of Code Enforcement Officers