As the heat of summer is still upon us, a big shout-out goes to the thousands of SCERS members who are exposed to the extremes of our region’s weather as they provide critical services to the community. Thank you for what you do!

Most of the 380 employees of Sacramento County Department of Waste Management & Recycling (DWMR) work outdoors in every kind of weather: in trucks, at dumping facilities, warehouses, cart yards, or out on the streets.

Deshawn Mays, who has been with DWMR for 29 years, was hired as a teenager when he started his outdoor career, picking up litter, cutting grass, washing trucks, and getting downright dirty at the County landfill. It was a job he couldn’t wait to do.

“My dad worked here, and just seeing him putting in all these years here inspired me. I was always fascinated by the trucks, so growing up I decided that I would apply here as soon as I could,” he said. It took him two years to get hired, but now he’s a Residential Curbside Collection Equipment Operator 3, and he loves his job.

“This is a great place to work. We care about each other here. I show up 45 minutes to an hour early every day and I love what I do,” he said. He usually arrives to work at 4:45 a.m.

Deshawn is responsible for the most difficult collection routes and uses a smaller truck built for tight turns. “I work on mainly dead-end streets that are too tight for big trucks to go down and turn around, he said. “As the lead, I also train new employees and those who get promoted to operate different pieces of equipment. The amount of safety training is extensive here because it’s a dangerous job.”

His public interactions at work can also present dangers. Once he diverted a loose Rottweiler that was charging toward an elderly woman walking her dog along his route. Fortunately, he was able to ensure the woman and the dogs got to safety.

On another occasion, one of the cans he picked up was on fire, requiring quick action. “You have to be on your guard at all times at this job,” he said.

Mostly though, his public interactions involve smiles and waves and helping customers with special needs. “When customers can’t bring their cans out, I bring them out and put them back,” he said.

Doing good is Deshawn’s favorite part of the job. During lockdown, a young boy on Deshawn’s route came outside each week to watch his truck in action. One day his mother tipped off the drivers that her son’s birthday was approaching, so the next week when the trucks arrived at his house, the drivers honked their horns for him and wished him a happy birthday. “He was so excited. It was one of the best moments I’ve had on the job,” he said.

Deshawn’s future plans include retiring with a full 40 years, taking some cruises, and keeping active in his bowling league. Until then, he plans to keep enjoying the next 11 years at work and may consider returning to work as a retired annuitant.

Monica Alvarado has worked at DWMR for five years. She calls herself a lid-flipper auditor and also loves her job. “I love the camaraderie and everything about this environment,” she said.

What is a lid flipper? “I check recycling cans, making sure customers are putting the right things in there — no stretchable plastic, no garbage, no food waste — and I educate customers using pamphlets with QR codes sending them to SacGreenTeam for more information in several languages. I love talking to people,” she said, and proceeded to help several customers who came to the facility to pick up organic waste buckets.

If you happen to see Monica on the street near a DWMR vehicle and looking in your recycle can, you are not in trouble. They stop at every 10th house. “We’re recycling. We’re not the police,” she said.

When she’s not auditing in the field, Monica also works in the cart yard and warehouse, but the extremes of the weather don’t bother her. “Before I worked here, I worked for California Conservation Corps, so I’m used to this. I also worked for Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps, and that’s where I learned about recycling,” she said.

Monica is saving for retirement but has no plans to retire anytime soon. “You’re always going to have garbage, and someone has to haul it. I don’t think I’ll ever leave this department,” she said.

Visit Waste Management & Recycling at https://wmr.saccounty.gov.