Media Kit



Linda DeCarloManager, Safety and OSHA ComplianceUnited States Postal ServiceNational Dog Bite Prevention Week KickoffBrooklyn, NYThursday, April 11, 2019 at 11 a.m. ET______________________________________________________________________Thank you, John.Good morning! Thank all of you for joining the Postal Service as we kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week. We are here because dog bites are a serious issue. The Postal Service wants to help protect you, our carriers and any others who might be in your neighborhood from becoming a victim of a dog attack. Today and over the next week, we will highlight what it means to be a responsible pet owner. This includes offering tips and information on how you can help keep our employees safe as they work to deliver your mail and packages each day.[PAUSE]We are here to help you protect your family. Your friends. Your neighbors — as well as the people who walk throughout your neighborhood, which include our employees. They have families and want to go home to them at the end of the day, just like you and me. You can help them get home safely by securing your pets, and following some basic safety tips you’ll hear about today. [PAUSE]When delivering mail to homes with pets, our letter carriers are often told not to worry — “My dog won’t bite you,” customers say. The truth is that if your dog has teeth, it can bite. Last year, more than 5,700 Postal Service employees dealt with this first hand. Looking at the numbers by state, California led the nation in dog-related incidents against postal employees with a reported 794 attacks. Texas ranked second with 462 attacks. Do you know which state ranked third in attacks against postal workers? New York. Last year, 339 employees were attacked here. [PAUSE]Looking at the cities, Houston reported the most dog bites at 75 attacks. Los Angeles reported the second highest at 60. The good news is that we saw about 500 fewer attacks than the previous year. The bad news is that the number of attacks is still too high. More than 5,700 people who deliver to your homes each day experienced a traumatic event while doing so. [PAUSE]A dog attack has lasting effects on these workers and their families. You will hear from some of our employees who have experienced dog attacks and threats later today. [PAUSE]Their colleagues back at the Post Office feel the effects, too. The more severe the injury, or the more frequent the attacks, the greater the impact to you in terms of our ability to deliver mail on routes where our carriers feel threatened. [PAUSE]The Postal Service teaches carriers how to protect themselves if a dog attacks.We train our carriers To never run from a dog To carry dog repellant To use their satchel as a barrier, and To always be aware of their surroundings. We have also created special safety features that letter carriers can use to report the presence of a dog. [Hold up an MDD and provide details]Employees can use their Mobile Delivery Device to be alerted when there is a dog at a particular address or in a particular neighborhood. We also use videos and dedicate a great deal of time training carriers how to avoid getting bitten. This training begins on their very first day of employment and is continued regularly throughout their career.Later, you will see a live demonstration of some of the training we provide. [PAUSE]Now let’s talk about how you can help our employees who deliver your mail each day. The Postal Service has technologies that work together to allow you help our letter carriers.Did you know that when you schedule a package pickup on that you can tell us if you have a dog? When you use the Package Pickup tool and indicate the presence of a dog at your address, the Postal Service sends the information to your letter carrier’s Mobile Delivery Device. In addition to Package Pickup, we encourage you to use a very exciting new feature called Informed Delivery. This free feature allows our customers to preview their incoming mail and manage their packages. We want customers to use this mail notification as an opportunity to secure their pets during the delivery timeframe. [PAUSE][Read the following Informed Delivery question/info if someone is on-site to sign up Informed Delivery customers. If not SKIP to next prompt]How many of you are already signed up for Informed Delivery? [PAUSE]If not, you’re in luck. We have Postal Service representatives here today who can sign you up for this totally free service so you can start seeing your mail before it arrives…and if you have a pet, to start helping protect your carrier. [SKIP HERE if there is no on-site for Informed Delivery sign up]In addition, many of our customers will receive postcards at their homes that remind them to secure their pets when a carrier comes to their door. These 3-D postcards show a dog in a calm, friendly state. By moving the card slightly, you see that same dog become angry and show its teeth. The message this is meant to drive home is that even good dogs have bad days — especially when other people are coming near where they live.[PAUSE]For our media members, we encourage you to stay informed of the dog bite incidents in your area by using the Postal Service’s interactive map, which tracks the number of incidents involving postal employees. More information is available in your media kits. [PAUSE]I have some more questions for you: Is it safe to take mail from your letter carrier in the presence of your pet? [Pause for responses.]No — To protect yourself, your dog, and your letter carrier, put your dog in a separate room and close that door before getting mail from your carrier.Should you let your dog loose in the neighborhood and yard without a leash or fence? [Pause for responses.]That’s right. The answer is NO — The safety of everyone, including our employees, is very important to the Postal Service. If your dog is roaming the neighborhood and causes your letter carrier to not feel safe, the entire neighborhood may also be asked to pick up their mail from the Post Office. You can be a responsible pet owner by following these dog bite prevention tips:If a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door to retrieve your mail. Don’t let your dog run loose in the neighborhood, even if you think your dog is friendly and doesn’t bite. Whenever possible, restrain your dog with a leash.When children are home with your dog, remind them to not take mail directly from the letter carrier. A dog may view the gesture as threatening.Remember: Being a responsible pet owner should happen more than one week every year. This is an everyday commitment. [PAUSE]I’ve given you a lot of tips today. To help you remember the overall message, keep this acronym in mind: B – I – T – E, which means…. Be a responsible pet owner and aware of carriers in your neighborhood. Use Informed Delivery. When you get the notification that you have mail or packages coming that day, use it as an opportunity to secure your pet. Take control of your dog. Use a leash, make sure it is secured inside your home, away from the front door during mail delivery. And Ensure that mail delivery continues for you and your neighbors by following the safety tips I’ve discussed. I appreciate you coming out today to hear this important message. Take what you learn and spread the word. Together, we can reduce dog bite incidents. Enjoy the rest of today’s program. Thank you. [Exit] # # # ................
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