Shelter in place IID employees to return home

IMPERIAL COUNTY, (KYMA, KECY), Thirty-two Imperial Irrigation District (IID), employees committed to serving the community are finally going home after three weeks of fully committing to living at their job site to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The IID’s shelter in place program housed 32 essential employees in individual trailers.

All this was done to make sure employees stay protected in order to continue to bring water and energy to the 400 thousand people they serve in the Imperial and Coachella Valley.

“We all know how important it is to keep the power grid going, and the power to all our customers. So it was a no brainer, it was our responsibility," said Jose Medel, Imperial Irrigation District.

“Its to protect these critical employees because let's say one of them comes down with the virus and they’re in the control center, it can get picked up by someone else and we can't really afford that," said Bob Schettler, IID public information officer.

Although it was a sacrifice Medel and his coworkers were willing to
make, he says it wasn't easy.

“I have to admit after day 5, everybody says wow. This is going to be a little bit more tiresome, and well just a little bit more of what we thought. Everybody is on day 20 right now so everyone is excited to go home and see our families," said Medel.

Medel already knows the first thing he’s going to do when he clocks out on Friday.

“Well actually all of us we all talk about it, almost all of us have coordinated with our wives to see what they are going to cook us, so we’re all putting our orders with our wives," said Medel.

On Saturday after all trailers have been cleaned and disinfected, a second wave of 25 employees will be moving in to join the effort.

IID plans to continue the shelter in place program as long as their employees are willing to accept the commitment.