Seattle business owner fears vaccine mandate will lengthen 911 response time: ‘I can’t get help’

Seattle business owners fear that the looming vaccination mandate deadline for police officers and firefighters will further increase response times to emergency calls as the city, which saw months of violent demonstrations last year, struggled with police staffing shortages and rising crime .

Maher Youssef, owner of Youssef’s Pluto Organic Café in Belltown, told KING 5 News that he has dialed 911 several dozen times over the past few years, including two separate break-ins that were captured by the café’s security camera.

Seattle police responded to both robberies, but Youssef said response times are long and staff shortages are expected to worsen with the city and state’s vaccine mandate deadline on Monday if business could deteriorate.

“I feel like I’m on my own. I have nowhere to get help. I just open the door every day and don’t know whether I’m going to go to my family’s home safe and sound or whether something is going to happen, “said Youssef.” The tourists will not come, the people will not go out of their house to To buy things. It’s going to be like a ghost town. “

POLICE PERSONNEL IN SEATTLE REPEATS PROMPT EMERGENCY SHIPPING PLAN, AS VACCINATION MANDATE FOR OFFICERS DURS

The extent of the vaccine mandate against staff shortages at the police will only be known after the deadline on Monday. October 18 is the date Seattle, King County, and Washington State employees must provide proof of full vaccination, apply for an exemption, or expect to be dismissed.

Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan said officials were not facing immediate dismissal on Monday for their reasons for violating mandate prior to the formal separation. An internal memo distributed by the King County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday indicated that MPs who fail to be vaccinated will afford similar hearings prior to being fired.

Last Wednesday, the Seattle Police Department activated its three-stage emergency mobilization plan, which calls for detectives and non-patrols on emergency calls because of a lack of patrol officers. The Seattle Fire Department has canceled non-essential training and community events as part of their contingency plan.

“This is what this emergency is for, so we can have officers available to call 911 without knowing what our numbers will be on October 18th,” Sgt. Randy Huserik told KING. “Our first concern is the priorities to be identified, the ongoing crime and so on, and the availability of staff to respond to these high priority calls first.”

The union, which represents around 1,000 Seattle police officers, believes the COVID-19 vaccine mandate could exacerbate staff shortages, which in turn could put public safety at risk. Union president Mike Solan said the city police had lost around 300 officers in the past 18 months and expected another “mass exodus” in the coming weeks.

“Crime is increasing in this city. Our community is demanding more police officers to answer the 911 calls and the fact that we have already lost nearly 350 police officers due to the political betrayal of the politicians,” said Solan. The union president said city officials described the Seattle Police Department as a “model” agency before George Floyd’s death when it came to police reform, but after Floyd’s death called for a 50% budget cut.

Solan said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has refused to allow officials who prefer not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to undergo regular tests and wear masks instead. As of last week, nearly 300 of Seattle’s 1,000 uniformed officers had either failed to file any records showing they were vaccinated or were applying for a waiver, the mayor’s office said. However, it is believed that dozens more have been vaccinated since then.

“People believe in personal choice and we as a union must represent everyone,” said Solan. “We’re not going to play the game of separation between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. That’s not the point. It’s about saving jobs.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In response, Durkan’s office said, “COVID-19 is currently the number one killer of our first responders. During the pandemic, we’ve seen dozens of firefighters and officials, some of whom have even been hospitalized with tests and PPE to our families, children, employees and the community at risk, so Mayor Durkan sincerely hopes that everyone who visits the city or nationwide departments leaves, makes the decision to stay by getting vaccinated. ”

Durkan is not seeking a second term after a year of controversy related to pandemic-era lockdowns, protests against the police and a possible autonomous zone. During a debate last week against Seattle mayoral candidates Lorena González and Bruce Harrell, both said they would tell those interested in law enforcement in Seattle to get vaccinated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.