With the holiday season less than a month away, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall's Directorate of Public Works' Operations and Maintenance Division is once again gearing up for winter weather.
More than 30 DPW employees gathered in the parking lot across from the community center on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base Oct. 27 for a training session focusing on snow plow operation.
DPW administers the training every year, said Denise Faldowski, joint base operations and maintenance chief. As many of the trainees haven't operated any of the snow removal equipment since the final snowfall from last winter, the training is a necessity, she said.
"Some of these guys haven't gotten into a piece of equipment since the last snowfall," she said. "So it's just to get them back in and go through how we put the plows on and things of that nature."
DPW has a number of vehicles available for snow removal operations, including four dump trucks, four smaller trucks, two utility vehicles, two front-end loaders and more.
Faldowski said residents will start to see posts in the ground delineating where curbs are for snow plow drivers in the coming weeks.
"We're just doing things a little earlier this year," she said. "Just in case."
DPW has 350 tons of sand and salt to treat the roads on the Fort Myer and Henderson Hall portions of the joint base during winter weather conditions, as well as another 350 tons for the Fort McNair portion.
There are also 800 bags of ice melt on hand, she said, adding more will be ordered to meet the need for pet-friendly ice melt.
The last three winters have brought multiple winter storms and snow days to the joint base. Faldowski said that regardless of what the coming winter is projected to bring, she and her team prepare the same way every year.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration, this winter will feature wetter-than-average conditions in the southern half of the United States and up the East Coast.
For more information, visit www.noaa.gov.
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DPW-recommended do's, don'ts for winter weather safety, prevention
Courtesy of JBM-HH Directorate of Public Works
- Ensure windows and doors are closed during extreme temperatures to eliminate freezing and rup-ture of water lines and exposed piping.
- Report any fallen tree branches to DPW and dead branches to DPW to eliminate safety hazards.
- Clean debris from outside drains to eliminate flooding when the snow melts.
- Upon arrival during icy conditions place ice melt on the walkways to prevent slips and falls.
- Parked vehicles are one of the biggest obstacles to effective snow removal. Please support re-moval efforts by parking vehicles outside established snow emergency routes.
- Report ice and snow buildup on rooftops and gutters to prevent structural damage and safety hazards.
- Emergency vehicles need a larger turning radius so respect their size and leave adequate room to maneuver.
- Report all nonfunctional heating units immediately, prior to extreme cold weather.
- Never leave your vehicle parked for any extended time without a point of contact to move it. This is especially important ahead of winter weather. Parking lots need to be cleared during heavy snow fall so leave keys with a friend or co-worker.
- Anti-icing products will be used to treat roads in advance of winter storms. DPW would like to remind everyone that these products will not damage vehicles.
- Safety: Never approach any DPW snow equipment or vehicle, in operation or not; instead, report and request support through DPW by calling 703-696-3263.
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