Las Vegas workers come together in face of tragedy

THE tragic events of Oct. 1 will forever be remembered in our city. Fifty-eight lives lost, hundreds more injured and many more scarred by the events of that harrowing evening. But in the midst of tragedy, Las Vegas working people stepped up to help our city through the night. Workers joined hands with the community and our visiting guests to do what needed to be done to save lives.

For some workers, heroism fell within their job description: Hotel security guards who investigated hotel alarms. The dispatchers from the police and fire departments who took the panicked calls of those under fire. The first responders such as the law enforcement, firefighters, and ambulance attendants, who arrived on scene to control the source of the harm and to start treating the wounded. And then the doctors, the nurses, and all of the hospital workers who did everything humanly possible to attend to victims as they were brought to hospitals in overwhelming numbers. Together, first responders and medical professionals made an incredible team, working without breaks under stressful and life-threatening conditions to make sure as many people as possible lived.

Other workers carried out their own acts of heroism, though in less immediately visible ways. The employees who work at the Mandalay Bay and Luxor were on lockdown with hotel guests in the basement until the next morning and helped by passing out food and blankets to make everyone feel as comfortable and as safe as they could under the circumstances. They were doing what they do day in and day out in our city: They were taking care of our guests, albeit in a much more difficult situation.

We’ve heard stories of not only ordinary citizens hauling the wounded to the hospitals but also startled cabdrivers who helped to transport scores of those injured to hospitals or helped get survivors away from the chaos.

And the help of Las Vegas workers didn’t just stop after the first night. The morning after, workers from all over the city — including our building trades workers, transport workers, truck drivers, film and stage technicians, steel workers, sheet metal workers and more — were out at blood drive sites. They assisted with directing traffic. They provided tents, coolers with ice, water, food, coffee and whatever was needed to help out people waiting for hours to donate blood, as well as the families who were waiting for their loved ones receiving care at our hospitals.

Seeing working people come together in the Las Vegas community drives home the core values of what our city is about: We are all in this together. The workers of Las Vegas will continue to organize long-term and meaningful efforts to help our city. We will provide whatever is needed, whether that entails ongoing blood drives, counseling sessions, collecting donations or raising funds. Nevada is our home and the workers who make our city function will step up to do whatever is necessary to help the survivors and their families.

This act of unimaginable violence has turned countless lives upside-down, but working Las Vegans assumed responsibility for one another and our community. Their dedication truly did help carry this city through the night. Values like these serve our city, our community and all working people as we walk the path of recovery together.

The employees who work at the Mandalay Bay and Luxor were on lockdown with hotel guests in the basement until the next morning and helped by passing out food and blankets.