COVID-19 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

PROGRESS & PRECAUTION

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51214864

RESEARCH & NOTES

For this project I will be analyzing the fire suppression community and

specifically how they have responded to Covid-19, I took 2.5-3.5 hours

worth of field notes over several of the meetings I attended as well as

doing a fair amount of related outside research to trying to find

videos concerning my discourse community. Unfortunately, I was unable

to obtain audio for any of the meetings I took notes on.

THE FIRE SUPPRESSION COMMUNITY

I work in the fire suppression industry, and as a company we maintain

and install fire suppression systems. In the construction world these

systems are categorized as life safety systems. In this industry we use

preventative measures to help save lives and property that may have

been lost due to fires. Because of this the company I work for has been

deemed an essential business and needs to stay open during this crisis.

During this crisis, our company president, safety officer and field

managers have been busy working out how to progress forward while

still maintaining the proper precautions to keep the employees as well

as those they work with safe.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/ct-

ecn-elgin-sprinkler-grant-st-0216-20180215-story.html

SAFETY FIRST

Below is a video of an interview conducted between Jed Bowl (a KSL Reporter) and Michael

Williams (the program director of the project) concerning Covid-19 in regards to The Salt Lake

City Airport Expansion, a project we are currently involved with.

https://ksltv.com/434502/airport-construction-workers/?

Right off the bat I noticed that Jed (The KSL Reporter) used a lot of hand gestures when he

talks. Immediately using his hand to point out the building behind him at 00:20 in the video

saying

Jed: “You Can tell from the outside that construction is really closing in on completion.” As he

points, gesturing to the building behind him.

As he talks, he has a very confident voice, almost like that of a narrator, he goes on

speaking in a well-rehearsed manner. Quite to the opposite of Michael Williams (The

Program Director) who is first heard at 00:37 in the video saying:

Michael: “We just stay vigilant every day”

He does not seem shy, but at the same time his voice is not as bold as Jed’s, and just seem to

be an odd mix of laid back and nervous at the same time. His nervousness really comes out

in his body language at 00:43, as he seems to unconsciously shift his body back and forth as

he stands for the interview with his hands clasped in front of himself.

Jed continues confidently, with almost a sense of urgency in his voice. I think that this urgency

he keeps in his voice is a common thing, and part of what helps him keep the viewers’

attention as he reports on stories. He also goes on to put emphasis on specific words that he

feels are important for the situation he is in, for example at 1:05:

Jed: “They put in extra hand washing and hand sanitizing stations, workers get daily

newsletters, stressing social distancing.”

SIGNS

Before things started getting serious people would joke all the time a

about the virus, for example someone would cough/sneeze, and my

coworker would say:

- “Watch out he got the Corona!”

Most of the time this was said as they backed away from the person

who coughed or sneezed, spatially distancing themselves from that

person. Giving most all those in the room a small chuckle.

Even some of the information signs (pictured on the right) they put up

around the office seem to have laid back attitude towards the rules.

But I think this is done in an effort to keep a calm environment so

people don’t feel so panicked or scared. (Also, I think this might have

been an inside joke for some for some of our field employees, who

finding the rules annoying would flippantly say something to the effect

of “there no sign that says I have too” hence, here’s your sign)

I feel like the majority of conversations have been for precautionary

measures (see sign on the right).

These protocols have been presented in email, as well as posted

though out the office to eliminate the need for people to gather for a

meeting. In these protocols they have made the language as straight

forward and direct as possible, as misunderstanding or failure to

comply could result in serious consequences for the individual or even

the company. They have even associated each health step with a

picture to help draw attention as well as to help people remember

them.

In order to limit exposure all employees have been moved so no one is

within six feet of another person. We have also canceled all

unnecessary meetings, and are highly encourage to use our phones to

call our coworkers rather than walking to their office.

One of the ways the company I work for has been communicating with all

of the employees is though the company’s mass texts that they send to all of

the employees.

The company has used this method to send information regarding Covid-19

and they are planning to deal with it

-Text (March 16 12:45PM) “COVID-19 Update: We are disinfecting the

office regularly and restricting employees from bringing family members to

the office. We are continuing to do business as usual unless you are sick or

around others that are sick. If sick, stay home and call your doctor for

medical advice.”

In this text they are reassuring the employees that they are doing

everything in their power to create a safe work environment. As well as

prompting people that if they are sick or around others that are sick that

they need to stay home.

In the next text sent about an hour and half later they went on to explain

that they would be “Temporarily suspending use of community items such as

coffee pots, plates, cups, silverware and condiments.” They suspended the

use of any communally shared items relating to food in any way in an effort

to help keep the field workers out of the office and also to stop the spread

of germs in the office. They went on in another text informing employees of

the access to the “Telemedicine” a type of video call appointment with a

doctor. In doing all of this, the company is able to stay at a safe distance to

convey a lot of essential information to the company. It was all worded

quite professionally without any personality at all added into the texts.

As thing started to get more serious, with companies shutting down, and

cities going on lockdown the conversations got a lot more serious. Being

in the construction industry our field workers go where the work is. We

have a fair amount of work in Summit County, and seeing as this was

one of the first places that was put on lockdown here in Utah the

company needed to figure out what appropriate actions needed to be

taken to continue progress on all the existing projects with out posing a

risk to the employees or the company.

There was a tense feeling in the room as our company president and

the company safety officer met in the conference room with our field

managers discussing how to best protect both our employees and our

company as a whole.

-Company President: “They have locked down all of Summit County,

can we still have our guys out there?”

-Safety officer: “Ya, I think so… just as long as we take the right

safety precautions we should be ok”

-Company President: “Like what are we talking? Masks? Sanitizer?

-Safety Officer: “They sent us a letter and…”

Company president: “Could you forward that letter to me?”

-Safety officer: “Of course, sorry I should have done that.”

-Company president: “What did it say they are requiring?”

Continued

-Safety Officer: “The main thing they talked about was wearing masks,

people not sharing tools, and wearing protective booties.”

-Company President: “Do we even have any!? It is damn near

impossible to get ahold of masks or sanitizer right now. I know we have

some Clorox wipes on order, but who knows when those will even get

here”

-Safety Officer: “We have been keeping a supply of masks and we

have more on order as well so I think we will be ok.”

-Company President: “OK, we just need to make sure we keep enough

on hand, and with the guys carpooling to jobs, I think they should be

wearing masks when there is more than one person in the truck”

-Safety Officer: “OK, ya, that is definitely not six feet.”

This meeting was kind of interesting, because the company president is still quite new to

his position with the recent retirement of the previous company president. The new

company president has always had a very matter of fact demeanor about him, but has

not always had a voice that commands the room like the previous president had. It is

really interesting to watch a person grow into their position.

Present in this meeting was the company president, the safety officer, both of the field

managers & the inspections department manager. The meetings, because of Covid-19

have been cut back to just the most necessary people so as to not exceed ten people in

a room at once. Even with only six people in the room every one was spread out, many

sitting away from the conference table in an effort to be spread out at least six feet

away or more from the person sitting next to them. Throughout the conversation you can

notice the social dialect of the conversation as everyone gives a fair amount of respect

the managerial hierarchy of the company.

As they began to address Covid-19 and the problems we were about to face you could

see the frustration and concern on the company presidents face as the conversation

continued, many of the voices resembled a dialect that had a southern accent as many of

the field managers and safety officer had grown up in rural communities. When the news

came out about Summit County being on lock down you could visibly see a drop in his face.

In a commanding voice, almost as if he was pushing more to live up to his new role. He

began the conversation of how work was to continue in Summit County. The Safety officer,

confident, though a bit mor timid would respond. As the president would speak with

confident flowing statements, making very little communication through hand motion where

as the safety officer would speak with a bit of reservation in his voice, using his hand to

emphasize points, and to point the paper in front of him as if someone could read it, even

with the social distancing. As the conversation proceeds, the company president continues to

dominate the conversation, and even interrupts the safety officer at some points in the

conversation. For example, when the safety officer brings up the letter from Summit County:

-Safety Officer: “They sent us a letter and – “

-Company President: “Could you forward that letter to me?”

I think this shows a sense of how the company president is dominating the discussion,

because instead of the safety officer trying to talk over him, he stops and hears what he

has to say even though he is being interrupted.

Over all the conversations in management though tense, and unsure at times, they

still convey a message hope to the employees of the company, providing the much

needed promise of stability in these crazy times. The company management

continues to do their best to maintain the safety of the employees, striving to

maintain a good balance of precaution and productivity.

SURVIVING COVID-19

As we pull together maintaining communication at a distance. Working

as effectively as possible, while ensuring the safety of coworkers and

everyone they come in contact with we will all be able to make it

through this crisis together.

Stay Healthy, Stay Safe.

WORKS SITEDPICTURE RETRIEVED FROM “ADIA KUBUR” HTTP://WWW.ADIAKIBUR.COM/MOMENTS/2013/7/27/OF-PEN-AND-PAPER

PICTURE RETRIEVED FROM “BBC” HTTPS://WWW.BBC.COM/NEWS/HEALTH-51214864

PICTURE RETRIEVED FROM “CHICAGO TRIBUNE” HTTPS://WWW.CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM/SUBURBS/ELGIN-COURIER-NEWS/CT-ECN-ELGIN-SPRINKLER-

GRANT-ST-0216-20180215-STORY.HTML

VIDEO RETRIEVED FROM “KSLTV” HTTPS://KSLTV.COM/434502/AIRPORT-CONSTRUCTION-WORKERS/?

PICTURE RETRIEVED FROM “MEDICAL NEWS TODAY” HTTPS://WWW.MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM/ARTICLES/SARS-COV-2-STUDY-CONFIRMS-PREVIOUS-

INCUBATION-PERIOD-ESTIMATES

PICTURE RETRIEVED FROM “STARECAT” HTTPS://STARECAT.COM/WASH-YOUR-HANDS-CORONAVIRUS-IS-COMING-T-REX-I-CANT-SOMEONE-HELP-ME-

COMIC/