Construction Leaders Recognizing & Responding to the Opioid Crisis
Cal (Calvin) Beyer, CWP
Editor's Note: This article is the first installment of two
parts covering personal and organizational stories of hope in this ongoing
series of articles regarding the opioid crisis in the construction industry.
The next article in this series will feature additional voices who have helped
launch National Recovery Week in New England. These stories and others of lived
experience help break down stigma by instilling hope to help guide others
toward a path leading to recovery.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) began
expressing concern about opioids to its members in 2015-2016. The Association
of Union Constructors (TAUC) Spring 2018 edition of TAUC’s Construction
User magazine was devoted to the opioid issue with the theme “Confronting the
Opioid Crisis: What Contractors Can Do Today.”
I have been interviewing industry leaders willing to share
their stories of how they recognized and responded to the growing opioid
crisis. The industry leaders highlighted in this article were among the
earliest to recognize the need to address opioids in the commercial and
industrial sectors of the construction industry.
Stigma-Free
Kyle Zimmer; Director of Safety and Member Assistance
Program
Local #478; International Union of Operating Engineers (IOUE; Hamden, CT)
I was introduced to Kyle Zimmer in August of 2016. I was
working as Director of Risk Management for a union contractor in the Pacific
Northwest. Kyle and I had both been invited to participate in a union training
program exploring the issue of mental health, substance misuse, and suicide
prevention. This meeting was in metro Seattle at the Union Hall for Local #302
of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE).
Zimmer recognized in 2015 how the opioid crisis was
adversely impacting the construction workforce. However, the turning point came
during the 2016 Labor Assistance Professionals Annual Conference. The
agenda included the financial and workforce impacts of opioids. Zimmer began
partnering with Greg Williams with a national organization then known as Facing
Addiction, which later merged with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence Inc.
Williams and Zimmer subsequently met with the President of
North America Building Trades Union (NABTU) Shawn McGarvey. NABTU enlisted the
support of the Construction Center for Research and Training (then known as the
Center to Protect Worker Rights) in the formation of the NABTU Opioid Task
Force. Excellent resources on opioid risk reduction are available from CPWR and
partner organization the National Institute of Occupational Health and
Safety.
Zimmer later introduced Williams to Connecticut Attorney
General William Tong. Zimmer recounts how this meeting was a turning point
leading to an expanded response to the growing opioid crisis in the state.
Today, Zimmer serves as an appointed member of the Connecticut Opioid
Settlement Advisory Committee. In 2023 Zimmer was invited to represent the
construction industry at a town hall hosted by the Brookings Institution on the
economic impact of the opioid epidemic and its effect on labor supply availability.
The Local #478 Member Assistance Program (MAP) supports
3,200 members and 10,000 total lives, including family members and retirees.
The MAP provides all-encompassing support for mental health, wellbeing,
substance misuse, and treatment and recovery support for substance use
disorder. Zimmer is quick to point out how important it is to provide a
stigma-free encounter by being nonjudgemental while offering personal and
confidential support. The MAP offers weekly support group meetings that are
open to all who would like to participate. Member Assistance Program
Coordinator Dwyer leads the weekly meetings and trained peers attend and
participate as well.
The success of the Local #478 program led to the
International starting a peer support training program named “It’s Time to Get
Uncomfortable.” Zimmer credits Dwyer for helping to develop the peer training
program. Approximately 90 peer leaders nationally have been trained in-house by
Zimmer, Dwyer, and a cohort of instructors representing various disciplines who
help teach peers how to help workers tackle the challenging lifestyle issues
that can temporarily disrupt or derail careers. The goal of a MAP and peer
support program is to help employees address lifestyle challenges and regain
and retain employment.
A State-Wide Stand-Down
Marko Kaar; Director of Safety Operations
Bartlett Brainard Eacott (BBE; Bloomfield, CT)
One of the signatory contractors Zimmer partnered with is
Bartlett Brainard Eacott. Marko Kaar is the longtime Director of Safety
Operations for BBE. Kaar and Zimmer collaborated on opioid awareness and risk
reduction initiatives back in 2016-2017. Both were active in promoting mental
health awareness and suicide prevention. They jointly presented on suicide
prevention and the opioid crisis at the December 2017 State of the Union
Construction Industry Forum for The Association of Union Constructors. I joined
Zimmer and Kaar as a co-presenter for a TAUC webinar in July 2020 on suicide
prevention and the opioid crisis.
Zimmer and Kaar were active members in helping the
Connecticut Construction Industries Association conduct a statewide opioid
stand-down in Connecticut in 2019. This followed the successful first statewide
opioid stand-down in Massachusetts in 2018. Kaar said the “state-wide
stand-down was attended by over 500 employees at all levels of organizations
around the state. Attendees included project owners, contractors, labor
representatives, the Governor, Attorney General, and other state officials.
What started as a conversation about opioids took a natural transition to the
discussion of addiction, suicide, and mental health overall.”
Kaar reminisced how it was “truly humbling to have employees
offer a look into their personal experiences (ten years in recovery, recent
suicide in the family, injuries that led to opioid addiction), while offering
sincere thanks, and in some cases, heartfelt hugs, for offering an opportunity
to recognize the issues that so many face.”
Kaar is excited to see how “awareness around opioids,
addiction, and naloxone has increased tremendously over the past 6-8 years.
Contractor groups around the country are addressing the issues, and company
owners are frequently speaking about their own commitment to opioid mitigation,
many times based on personal experience.” To Kaar, “opioids are not just a
safety issue, it impacts wellness, employee retention, and profitability as
well. The numbers are upside down on so many sides of the discussion.”
Reviving Victims
Dr. John S. Gaal; Director, Worker Wellness
Missouri Works Initiative (St. Louis, MO)
John Gaal is a construction leader who served a majority of
his career as an apprenticeship training director for the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners union in St. Louis. Gaal is a suicide loss survivor of
his son John, Jr. Gaal has been an active presenter for the apprenticeship
committee of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Programs. Gaal
was one of the earliest voices in construction speaking about the risk of
opioids and suicide.
I invited Gaal to share the unique perspective of both he
and his wife participating in reviving victims of opioid overdoses using
naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
as an over-the-counter medication for the reversal of opioid overdoses. A prior
article in this series on opioids covered the Alliance
for Naloxone Safety in the Workplace . Gaal joined Kaar and a number
of other leaders as founding members of the ANSW.
Lightning Strikes Twice in Less Than 1 Year
By Dr. John S. Gaal
On October 22, 2022, my wife Mary and I boarded SWA flight
928 heading to Las Vegas for an international conference where I was scheduled
to make a presentation. Less than 1 hour into our journey a woman’s scream came
from across the aisle. Immediately, the flight attendants called out for
assistance from any First Responders onboard. I jumped from my seat to find a
young man passed out. Another man helped me carry this person in need of
medical attention to the galley in the back of the plane. On my way back, I
called out to Mary and asked that she “throw me the Narcan (naloxone) from her
purse”.
Fortunately, the man who assisted carrying our victim was an
Emergency Room doctor. He found no pulse or breathing. After “heated”
discussions concerning a plan of action with the pilot and crew, I made
some observations: sweating, vomit, unresponsiveness to a sternum rub, and pin
point pupils. I suggested that this young man was in opioid overdose. And, that
I had Narcan and was going to use it. Within 3 minutes of administering the
Narcan, this young man came back to life…within 10 minutes he was back in his
seat for the remainder of the flight.
Fast forward to September 26, 2023, Mary and I were
performing our monthly service at an inner-city food shelter. Upon closing up
for the evening, Mary noticed a crowd gathering on the parking lot. As she
approached this area, Mary saw a young man passed out with another person
leaning over him administering a nasal mist dose of Narcan. Mary served as the
time keeper (knowing that if there was no response another shot would be
required in 3 minutes). She also asked people gathered around if anyone was carrying
Narcan. No less than 3 of the homeless people nearby offered their supply. It
took 2 more doses of Narcan to revive this young man.
During COVID, Mary and I decided to get trained on what
naloxone is and how to use it. After all, 5 of our friends have lost sons
between the ages of 24-36 to the opioid crisis since 2016. It took less than 1
hour to learn to do this at a level we can now train others. I can honestly say
that as a construction worker, I have taken standard first aid and CPR training
many times over the past 40 years but never used it. A Chicago pharmacist
recently published an article stating that Narcan is the new CPR.
The moral of these stories is that in order to help others,
one must be in the right place…at the right time…with the right set of skills!
They highlight how three representative construction leaders
recognized and responded to the challenges of opioids. Kyle Zimmer, Marko Kaar,
and John Gaal are three of the earliest advocates for opioid risk reduction in
the construction industry. In late 2016, after collaborating with Zimmer, I
began expanding my education of workers, contractors, and labor leaders on the
risks of opioids. Many other leaders have been early adopters that did not get
acknowledged in this article. The combined efforts of all such contributors
created the momentum being experienced today.
Finally, my ask of you is that you contact your US
Representative in Congress to request her/his support of House Bill 3616 (which
requires all commercial airlines to carry Narcan). In fact, Southwest Airlines decided to stock naloxone in late December 2023.
Norwich considers pursuing $15 million federal grant for I-395 exit improvements
Claire Bessette
Norwich ― The City Council will be asked Tuesday to support
a $15.6 million federal grant request for improvements to the Interstate 395
Exit 18 ramp and to create dedicated lanes for traffic entering and leaving the
planned Occum Industrial Center.
The Norwich Community Development Corp. is seeking
authorization to apply for the grant through the U.S. Department of
Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and
Equity, RAISE, program.
The requested $15.6 million would fund the majority of the
proposed $20 million project to upgrade the Exit 18 northbound and southbound
ramps with wider lanes, including acceleration and deceleration lanes on the
steep ramps, a traffic light at the Route 97 intersection, sidewalks along
Route 97 and dedicated lanes to enter and exit the industrial center.
The City Council will vote on the proposed resolution to
authorize the grant application at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. NCDC
President Kevin Brown said the federal application is due Feb. 28. He also is
pursuing letters of support from the Southeastern Connecticut Council of
Governments, Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, the region’s
congressional delegation and key city and state leaders.
Mayor Peter Nystrom said if the RAISE grant is awarded, the
remaining $5 million in local matching funds for the project could come from a
combination of state and local funds, possibly including a portion of the $6
million road construction and improvements bond voters approved in November.
“It’s about working as a team at the federal state and local
level,” Nystrom said. “The important thing now is to secure that grant.”
Nystrom thanked the state for awarding the initial $11.3
million in Community Investment Fund grant money to construct the access road
and thanked state Sen. Cathy Osten for obtaining another $500,000 in state
funding for design work.
Neighbors in the Occum area have opposed the planned
industrial center on former farmland and commercial land purchased by NCDC for
$3.55 million. The property is zoned for planned development or general
commercial development.
The Occum Industrial Center received local planning commission approval in January for a
12-lot commercial lot subdivision and to build the 7,700-foot-long access road
from Route 97 into the property.
The council resolution describes the new access road and
exit improvements as "a first step in establishing an industrial sector,
to be known as the Occum Industrial Center, for environmentally beneficial
technologies and help to revitalize core impoverished neighborhoods through
economic growth and job opportunities.”
Brown said the RAISE grant application will emphasize the
traffic safety improvements to the Exit 18 ramps and Route 97, along with the
economic development and jobs benefits the new industrial center would provide.
The 184 acres of developable land will be marketed for environmentally
beneficial technologies.
Brown said the exit ramp plans and highlights of the project
will be posted on the city’s Envision Norwich 360 interactive community
website, https://envisionnorwich360.com/en/.
Before construction begins, Lymes’ Senior Center renovation not on time or on budget
Elizabeth Regan
Old Lyme ― Officials are scrambling to come up with savings
now that bids have come in more than a million dollars higher than original
estimates for the $5.3 million senior center renovation project.
The delay comes as some displaced seniors continue to
question why the center had to close its doors more than four months ago when
construction still has not begun.
The low bids from professionals in the building trades
exceeded by $1.3 million the amount approved by voters in Old Lyme and Lyme
last year, according to Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee Chairwoman Jeri
Baker.
The bids came from construction subcontractors vying to work
under the Hartford-based Newfield Construction management firm, which was
selected in October to manage the project.
Old Lyme is responsible for 75% of the project cost, with
Lyme accountable for the remainder.
The estimated budget was based on numbers submitted by
project architects from Point One Architects of Old Lyme in March 2023. The
firm was hired the previous year for $287,300 to carry out all design and
architectural responsibilities through the completion of construction.
Baker on Monday said the architects and construction manager
are looking at ways to eliminate costs through what’s known in the industry as
value engineering: replacing products and services with cheaper alternatives
without compromising overall quality. They’re also looking at the design to see
what can be altered or deferred, she said.
“The confidence is we can bring it down hundreds of
thousands of dollars without diminishing the plan or the functionality of the
space,” she said.
Messages left with Point One Architects and Newfield
Construction went unreturned Monday.
Baker said officials must figure out how to bring the costs
down ― and secure funding for the remaining overage, if any ― before the
current bids expire on May 6 in order not to have to start the bidding process
over.
That would mean the senior center could reopen by late
February of next year if crews get in the building this May, she said.
First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker said over the phone she
will be meeting with Lyme First Selectman David Lahm, Baker and representatives
from the design and construction firms on Friday.
She said any request for additional funding will have to go
through the selectmen and boards of finance in the towns.
“I would assume we would have to go back to the voters,” she
said. “I think it’s a valuable project for our town, and I am sure the citizens
of this town will do what’s right for the senior citizens in our town.”
Asked if she had concerns about how the process has
unfolded, she said only that the building committee is doing “a great job”
coming up with solutions to the overrun.
She acknowledged complaints from residents.
“I’m trying to stay positive and put all the pieces
together,” Shoemaker said.
Seniors have been spread out across Lyme and Old Lyme since
October as they participate in exercise classes, attend health clinics, make art and eat communal lunches at various libraries,
churches and municipal buildings.
The originally targeted move-in date of Oct. 16 appears
unachievable as the timeline continues to get pushed back. The first delay
occurred when $1 million in grant funding from the state came through later
than project officials planned for.
Lahm did not return a call for comment Monday.
Baker cited fire suppression, originally estimated at
$266,282, as one of the most unexpectedly expensive parts of the project. She
said the high cost of steel and glass contributed to bids that came in $212,718
higher.
The architects, construction manager and members of the
building committee are working with Fire Marshal David Roberge and Building
Official Mark Wayland to look at alternative systems, she said.
Holding off on landscaping was an example of something that
could be done to reduce costs now “without jeopardizing the functionality of
the building when people come back,” she said.
“The goal is to get the people in the building to do the
work so we can get the seniors back in to enjoy this beautiful new building,”
she said.
Norwalk's new roundabout to make Richards Ave, West Cedar Street safer: 'Good traffic design'
NORWALK — A new traffic circle coming to the busy
intersection of Richards Avenue and West Cedar Street represents a “paradigm in
good traffic design,” state Senate
Majority Leader Bob Duff said.
Also called a roundabout or rotary, the traffic circle will
replace the more than 30-year-old traffic signal at the intersection, saving
the city in future maintenance costs and limiting emissions from vehicles
idling at red lights, said Jim Travers, director of the city's Transportation,
Mobility and Parking Department.
It will be located near the campus of CT State Norwalk, formerly Norwalk Community
College. The Richards Avenue and West Cedar Street intersection is a
high-traffic area, said Duff, D-Norwalk.
“The fact that students are across the street a lot during
the day and at night sets up a situation where it could be very dangerous,” he
said.
The traffic circle, which has $5 million in state funds,
will be funded by: $1 million in state bond funds acquired by Duff, and the
state Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program from which the TMP
Department received $4 million — the maximum amount for a single grant, Travers
said.
The $1 million will go toward the design costs and land
acquisition the project requires; to complete the project, the city will need
to acquire some property from CT State Norwalk campus, Travers said.
The city will use VHB, an East Coast consultant with a
Wethersfield location, for the design work, Travers said.
The city looks to break ground on the project in spring
2025, with a summertime construction schedule concluding in the fall, he said.
“The next step is finalizing the reimbursement process,”
Travers said of the project, which is 100 percent state-reimbursable.
The project’s funding limits the taxpayer burden, and adding
a traffic circle over a signal is a step in a cost-saving direction, Travers
said. Traffic circles have fewer maintenance and repair needs than traffic
signals, which eventually need to be replaced, he said.
“I think sometimes signals are the necessary way to move
cars, but sometimes we can actually move them better, safer, and with less
impact to the environment by using roundabouts,” he said.
The traffic circle will also serve the local students and
pedestrians, Travers said. A traffic circle, with a speed limit of 10 to 15
mph, lowers the traveling speed in the area, he said, creating a safer shared
space for student pedestrians and vehicles.
The new traffic circle will be one of three in the city.
“We have no modern roundabouts in the city,” Travers said in
a text message. “We have a couple that act as a roundabout but lack traditional
design.”
Those outdated traffic circles are at the Gregory Boulevard
and 5th Street intersection and at Stevens Street and Stuart Avenue.
With the modern vision and safety gains, Duff said he was on
board with Travers’ idea and secured the $1 million in state bond funds.
“Jim had talked to me about his vision in that part of the
city and that it would help to make the area safer and more beautiful at the
same time,” Duff said.
The TMP Department looks to have community
conversations and meetings about the project this spring, Travers said.
When will Stamford's torn-up Summer Street reopen? Officials say sidewalks will be done first.
STAMFORD — Good news for those who frequent the city's
Summer Street area — city officials said the work being done on sidewalks in
that part of town should be completed by mid-March.
The sidewalks are under construction as part of the Lower Summer Street Promenade project, which includes widened sidewalks on both sides of Lower Summer Street (the section between Broad and Main streets), an improved streetscape with new lights and trees, a raised intersection to increase pedestrian safety and other improvements.
"The Lower Summer Street Promenade project was inspired by municipal designs in other cities that incorporate roadways into a vibrant community destination," said Lauren Meyer, special assistant to Mayor Caroline Simmons.
Meyer said the project costs $2 million and $600,000 is
funded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation Community Connectivity
Grant Program and $1.4 million is funded by the City of Stamford.
Meyer said the sidewalk roadway construction began last
spring, and much of it should be completed soon.
"We anticipate that the sidewalk work will be completed
by mid-March, and we are aiming for the project to be substantially completed
by mid-April," she said. "Final work such as roadway paving and light
pole installation will be completed in early May."