BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County leaders came together on Thursday to announce the launch of a new online portal to help with identifying essential workers during major emergencies.
The county said the essential employee exemption portal is to be used by employers during winter storm events and other emergencies when a driving ban has been declared.
"The travel exemption portal will define specific categories of workers using a tiered concept to identify who would be exempt from a travel ban in order to commute to and from their place of employment. The list of essential employees will be reviewed annually and employers will be asked to provide updates when an essential employee’s work status changes for any reason that warrants removal from the exemption list," a release says.
Employees can access the form here.
“We are introducing this new online portal as a way for employers to identify essential employees who would be exempt from a travel ban if one were put in place during a major winter storm or some other major emergency. It is crucial to have essential and emergency workers who perform critical and necessary services to be able to travel to and from their workplaces. We hope to work with employers in determining whether an employee should have essential status and help eliminate any gray areas when it comes time to make travel decisions during a major weather event or some other type of catastrophe.”
The county said law enforcement officials can discipline motorists for violating a travel ban if the driver is not defined as an essential worker.
The categories include the following:
Law Enforcement/Public Safety
- Police, fire and rescue, emergency medical services and search and rescue personnel
- Workers who provide information about and access to emergency services
- Workers who respond to abuse and neglect of individuals and who support childcare and protective service programs
- Hazardous materials technicians or specialists
- National Security sensitive operations
Healthcare
- Emergency medical service workers
- Urgent care workers
- Nurses, home care workers and other inpatient and outpatient support workers
- Workplace safety employees
- Pharmacy staff (pharmacists, technicians, and equivalent)
- Hospital and laboratory workers
- Human services workers including social workers, nutritionists and case managers
- Workers who perform cybersecurity functions at health care and public health facilities
Public Works
- Workers involved in the operation and maintenance of public works facilities
- Workers such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and technicians who maintain basic safety and operations in these facilities
- Highway/Roadway clearing equipment operators
Food and Agriculture
- Farmers, ranch workers and farm support staff
- Employees responsible for food safety and quality
Utilities, Waste, and Wastewater
- Workers involved in construction, maintenance, operations, engineering and logistics across the energy sector (electricity, natural gas, propane, etc.)
- Operational staff at water authorities, community water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, collection facilities and those involved in distribution
- Workers responsible for digital systems supporting water system operations
- Laboratory staff performing water sampling and analysis
