From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The federal government has awarded a $3.2 million contract to Stockbridge-based Power House Termite and Pest Control, to exterminate rats from the entirety of the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center downtown.
The structure on Forsyth Street is the largest federal building in the Southeast. About 3,500 people across 23 agencies work there, according to the GSA. It consists of a 24-story main tower linked by a bridge to another 10-story building and the former main building of Rich’s department store. …
About 500 Social Security Administration employees work in the complex, said Patti Patterson, an agency spokeswoman.
While some rodent intrusion was found in our space, it never impaired or restricted access to work spaces,” she said in a statement. “While the majority of our employees in the Sam Nunn Federal Center telework, they are able to work in the office when necessary.” …
6 comments:
Feral cats or just aggressive domestic cats are really the only way to entirely get rid of rats. They hate cats and their scent. New York did it successfully.
At my residence in SoCal, there is a rat problem around our home. But our little Malti-Poo dog chases them away. So the rats scurry on top of our outside garage but dare not go inside or in the yard. Our neighbors have hunting dogs but they seem more bold. Rats scoff at those traps sacrificing others to get rid of them. Rats are extremely smart. But they hate felines.
Shrill screams and everyone jumping on their desks. Sounds like it would have impaired and restricted MY access to work spaces!
Rats carry disease and fleas. While the amount is significant, even 3.2 million isn't enough to fix the problems with the FOs/SSA. SSA needs an enormous infusion of funds to fix the issues including backlog, training, employee retention, management disorganization, and public relations, among others.
The article also says this contract includes preventative maintenance. This is a 24 story building linked to another 10 story building. It hosts 23 agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency. The article also says 120 Army Corps of Engineer employees go in regularly, as well as other employees that have gone in for disaster recovery operations. It does seem this contract is needed.
I'm not angry about it. I wouldn't want to work with rats.
I may just be speaking for myself here, but as an OHO decision writer with 100% telework, introducing cats into offices is exactly how management can entice me back to my official duty station.
I would go if back to the office too if we could have cats!
I worked at SNAFC for sometime in recent years and don't recall ever seeing a rat, even outside among downtown Atlanta's ubiquitous rats and black rat poison boxes. Maybe the rats have taken over since so few folks are going into SNAFC anymore.
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