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Department of Employee Relations

Employee Safety


The City of Milwaukee Employee Safety is dedicated to preparing all City of Milwaukee employees for emergencies. Through our partnership with the Department of Public Works, we work to address employee safety issues and building security concerns.   

Employee Safety coordinates with citywide departments, including the Office of Emergency Management, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Milwaukee Fire Department, regarding emergency planning for City of Milwaukee facilities and employees. We have implemented several programs and initiatives to address employee safety concerns and reduce employee safety risks. The City continues to reassess the effectiveness of these measures and determine whether additional measures are needed.

To accomplish our mission, Employee Safety focuses on the following primary areas:

  • Provide New Employee Orientation on Building Safety and General Safety Procedures to employees.
  • Develop building safety and evacuation plans. 
  • Coordinates employee training and exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of building safety and evacuation plans.
  • Coordinates with each Department’s Emergency Response Team Leaders on building safety procedures. 
  • Supporting the establishment of a Central Safety Committee to assist in preparing plans and policies.
  • Promotes education on employee safety and prevention measures.
  • Acts as the City’s primary liaison for Departments, Employees, and Elected Officials regarding building safety plans and policies.

Based on the most recent assessment of field safety policies and practices, the following measures are in place:

  • Safety Committees were established or strengthened in several departments. Safety Committee membership includes employees well-positioned to identify safety issues and recommend solutions.
  • Flight Plans or similar mechanisms requiring employees to report and document their anticipated stops for the day were implemented in departments. These protocols document the employee’s whereabouts for a particular day and require notification to the supervisor of any changes, as well as “clocking out” at the end of the day.
  • City cell phones were issued to field employees who did not have access to a personal cell phone or other communication device to use in case of an emergency.
    • One Call Now App is a tool that departments can use to send text messages and push notifications to employee mobile devices in real time. Departments that are interested in using this service should contact Cathy Portz ([email protected], 414-286-3274) in ITMD.
  • Uniforms or departmental-branded items of clothing were newly requested and issued for specific departments and staff.
  • Identification decals for personal vehicles were distributed to employees who perform work in the field and have a preference for City identification on their vehicles.
  • The City’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the resources available through the program are used by departmental personnel for training, incident response debriefing, individual support and referral, and other targeted interventions. When an incident is reported, the EAP Coordinator responds immediately by contacting the department representatives or the employee involved.
  • Peer Support Systems are available in multiple departments to assist employees after an incident occurs. The EAP Coordinator, Cris Zamora, is available to assist departments interested in establishing peer support groups and to help with implementation.
  • Buddy Systems, allowing employees to request the assistance of a team member or a supervisor based on known risks or problem areas, were formalized in departments. The conditions and circumstances under which this is allowed vary by department. Some departments developed additional protocols for requesting assistance from MPD when warranted.
  • Specific provisions of department-specific Field Safety Policies allow employees to use their judgment and discretion to remove themselves from a potentially dangerous situation without fear of repercussion. These provisions permit employees to cancel or terminate field activities if they feel unsafe.
  • Panic alarms were purchased and made available to employees who were interested in using that type of device.