COVID-19 brings out UTC heroes

These days, people in all kinds of uniforms are taking on hero status—not just those in military uniforms. First responders, health care providers and law enforcement are on the front lines in today’s battle with COVID-19. They have jobs that can’t be done remotely, and their work makes the rest of us safer, healthier and more secure.

Look around, and you’ll see plenty of these heroes at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. They are the uniformed workforce which has continued reporting for duty on campus every day since the work-from-home protocol was authorized in March.

They include the dispatchers and police officers who are among the combined more than 30 members of the UTC Police Department keeping campus safe and secure. Another 30 or so are on the team keeping campus grounds beautiful and buildings clean and comfortable. Two dozen more are attending to the needs of campus housing, still home to a handful of students whose personal circumstances made it necessary that they remain on campus. And those students get to eat without leaving campus because of the daily efforts by 10 food service workers.

Between another dozen or so employees on rotation for the Mocs Print and Mail Center and the UTC Bookstore, services continue to be offered by those entities.

The next time you have the chance, thank these UTC heroes for all they’re doing to ensure the needs of the on-campus community are met even as the majority of the UTC community is a far-flung group for now.

Dane Snowden replaces a light near the University Center on Thursday, April 9, 2020.

Maintenance employees Cheryl Moore, left, and Donna Bonner work on April 2, 2020.

UTC Police Sgt. Craig Haney checks the temperature of Officer Scott Bishop on April 2, 2020.

Maintenance man David Lee works on a faucet on April 2, 2020.

UTC Police Dispatcher Tina Roth takes her temperature on April 2 ,2020, in the Emergency Services building.

Maintenance employee Cheryl Moore works on April 2, 2020.

Chris Charland mows the grass on Chamberlain Field on April 2, 2020.

UTC Police Cpl. Ross Brenza carries on a conversation through his shoulder radio on April 2, 2020.

Maintenance worker Daryl Hill on April 2, 2020.

Maintenance employee Carolyn Strickland works on April 2, 2020.

Maintenance workers, from left, Ron Hill and David Lee fix equipment on April 2, 2020.

UTC Police Sgt. Craig Haney works with a medical thermometer on April 2, 2020.

Carole Geter cleans in Founders Hall on March 18, 2020.

With the Aquatic and Recreation Center closed, workers from a local company clean and disinfect the pool on March 19, 2020.

In his office, Tony Parsley, director of Client Services, talks remotely with Jeffrey Wetherill via Zoom on March 20, 2020, in Pfeiffer Hall.

Shelle Ware serves food from an abbreviated hot menu in the University Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Kyle Thurmond among essential personnel working on campus Thursday, April 2,2020.

Andraus Perkins among essential personnel working on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Brenda Case works in Mail Services Friday, April 17, 2020.