Smoke: Tacoma slow to protect the vulnerable

Re: “City creates relief center to escape wildfire smoke,” (TNT, 9/17).

Local officials were quick to issue health directives for the recent wildfire smoke: Close your windows, set up a “clean room” and stay inside.

But what about the hundreds of people in Tacoma without shelter? What were they supposed to do? Some of these people are children or elderly, populations acutely affected by prolonged exposure to smoke.

Nearly nine days after our skies filled with toxic wildfire smoke, which made us for a time one of the most polluted cities in the world, the city finally opened a shelter for the homeless. But even then, it could only hold 50 people and was available only for daytime use.

Besides, the damage had been done; hundreds in our city had breathed in the heavy smoke for more than a week straight.

We are better than this and must do more to protect vulnerable populations from the climate disasters to come. Now is the time to invest in the systems, facilities and resources that will ensure those who are unable to escape disaster in the future are taken care of.

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Smoke: Tacoma slow to protect the vulnerable."