First responders nationally are quitting their jobs over coronavirus vaccine mandates.
About 1,900 state workers in Washington reportedly either resigned or were fired by Tuesday, according to the state’s Office of Financial Management. That’s about 3% of the state’s workers. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said municipal workers must have at least one shot of the vaccination by Oct. 29 or go on unpaid leave. San Francisco first responders had until Oct. 13 to get vaccinated.
Across social media, first responders employed by the state are taking resignation announcements on their own terms, with some even going viral with the hashtag #StopTheMandate.
INDIANA OFFICIALS RECRUIT UNVACCINATED CHICAGO POLICE
A California paramedic spoke out on how she felt about being “forced” to get the vaccine if she wanted to retain her job.
@federalemployees Pt.2 Join us on Facebook: Federal Employees For Freedom !#firefightertiktok #firefighter #againstmandates #military #stopvaccinemisinformation
A San Francisco firefighter had some choice words for his higher-ups.
“I was hired in January 2020,” said one firefighter in a video that has garnered more than 227,000 likes on TikTok. “All I know as a career firefighter is this pandemic. I’ve cared for COVID patients, followed all the protocols and mandates, and, to my knowledge, never once exposed anyone to this virus.”
“Due to my personal choice to take the moral stand for medical freedom and personal choice, I will be signing out of service for the last time today,” a police officer said in a TikTok video with more than 496,000 likes. “After nearly 17 years of serving the citizens in the state of Washington, it has been an honor and privilege to work alongside all of you.”
@cel_marie86 We stand for medical freedom. #stopthemandate #terminated #pnw #lastsignout #copsoftiktok #marriedlife #dispatcher #dispatchersoftiktok #911calls
“I think I’m done,” another police officer in Washington state said. “Twenty-three years in the United States Army prior to this, about 10 years as a cop, and I think after all the stuff that we’ve been through, you know, the defund, the de-hate, de-motivation of cops, all the stuff that they’ve put us through, I still went to work every single day, motivated and ready to do my job.”
