Photo By 2nd Lt. Steven Tucker | U.S. Army Spc. Francisco Cordero Acevedo, 250th Engineer Company bridge builder crew...... read more read more
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BRISTOL, Conn. – Bright orange cones mark traffic lanes for local residents arriving at a parking lot across the street from Bristol City Hall. Like many others across Connecticut, this lot has turned into a COVID-19 testing site to help meet increased demand associated with the spread of the Omicron variant.
A pair of Connecticut National Guard soldiers are on site to assist civilian lab workers with daily operations. So far approximately 250 Guardsmen are activated to assist 24 state-supported testing sites and PPE distribution at the state’s commodities warehouse and five regional points of distribution.
For U.S. Army Spc. Francisco Cordero Acevedo, a bridge builder crew member assigned to the 250th Engineer Company, volunteering to assist the state’s COVID-19 response didn’t require a second thought.
“When my leadership presented the opportunity, I took it because it was a chance to continue helping in many ways,” said Cordero Acevedo.
Cordero Acevedo served for nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning to his home state and joining the National Guard. In his full-time civilian career, he helps clean and restore homes damaged by fire or flooding.
“I always seek ways to better myself and help the community,” said Cordero Acevedo.
At the Bristol testing site, Cordero Acevedo does everything in his power to make sure everyone gets the help they need.
“We try to alleviate some of the stress on the lab workers by helping hand out registration paperwork, helping patients fill it out, and explaining to patients how to conduct the self-swab tests that this site uses,” said Cordero Acevedo. “I always tell the patients to wave us down if they need any clarification so we can help them through the process.”
Attentiveness to each individual who comes through the site contributes to successful testing operations, said Cordero Acevedo.
“I think it helps the patients understand that we’re here to ensure everyone is safe and conducts the test correctly, which then helps provide them with accurate results,” said Cordero Acevedo.
Through supporting these operations, Cordero Acevedo hopes to help his fellow Connecticut residents stay safe during this recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
“We want to make sure everyone who comes through these sites is tested accurately to help mitigate the spread of the virus as much as possible,” said Cordero Acevedo. “We’re here to help and we care.”
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2022 19:24 |
| Story ID: | 412897 |
| Location: | BRISTOL, CT, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Service a way of life for Guardsman supporting COVID-19 response, by 2nd Lt. Steven Tucker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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