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FORT SILL, Okla., Feb. 25, 2021 — The Herculean efforts of Fort Sill directorates, units, and agencies, and the people of the community working together ensured the post came out well after the weeklong Arctic deep freeze with two snowstorms.
Ice-covered roads, deep snow, and negative temperatures limited the post to mission critical and essential workers Feb. 14-19. Workers and families had to deal with burst water pipes, power outages, water shortages, and housing displacement because of a lack of heat.
Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Russell Blackwell gave an update on the weather response, recovery, and status of services Feb. 23.
“Within 24 hours both Corvias (Property Management) as well as our Directorate of Public Works (DPW) were out assessing damage, clearing roads, and making repairs,” Blackwell said. “It was almost an instantaneous response.”
Fort Sill had a winter weather plan and implemented it in October during an ice storm, Blackwell said. “We learned a lot of lessons from that, so when the deep freeze hit this time we were far better prepared.”
Col. Rhett Taylor, Fort Sill Garrison commander, along with directorates and leaders provided a livestream community update Feb. 19 from Snow Hall.
The town hall provided guidance on personal safety, updated response efforts, and gave facility contact information.
Taylor described the unprecedented storms as a human endeavor that impacted everyone, whether they responded to it, or experienced it stuck at home.
Taylor said DPW techs, including its contractors, and Corvias Property Management employees worked 14-hour shifts night and day, taking minimal breaks, and as they, too, had to help their own families with the storm.
Blackwell said Soldiers also worked tirelessly taking care of their facilities, including barracks.
“Soldiers living in the housing areas took care of each other, shoveling driveways and looking out for each other,” the command sergeant major said.
Also working were employees with virtually every directorate, including the directorates of Emergency Services, Logistics, and Family, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (FMWR).
Despite the challenges, Taylor described Fort Sill’s response as phenomenal.
Many employees showed their leadership skills during the crisis, including Traci Carter, School Age Services (SAS) facility director, and her staff.
The SAS suffered extensive water damage after a fire suppression water reservoir burst. “We pretty much had a swimming pool here, two to three inches of water,” she said. Working with DPW techs, they removed the weather guards off doors to let the water make its way out.
It was all-hands on deck Feb. 22, and the building went from looking like a disaster site to reopening Feb. 23. “It was a team effort,” she said.
For the most part basic combat training was not affected, said Blackwell.
One of the BCT barracks suffered minor water damage, and momentarily displaced the trainees, but they have since returned to their quarters.
Housing areas
Amber McNeil, Fort Sill Corvias business director, thanked the post residents for their patience, and for the appreciation they’ve shown to the technicians working housing issues.
“I’ve heard stories of meals and hot beverages being offered,” she said. “That really does go a long way to keep their spirits up as they have been working extremely hard.”
Corvias staff kept residents informed with emails and social media posts featuring emergency contact numbers, fitness center hours, as well as locations to get bottled water, McNeil said.
Active-duty units also provided water to families from their portable water tanks, or water buffaloes.
The most common problem was plumbing, and there were about 100 homes without water, McNeil said.
To assist those families, FMWR opened the Fires and Honeycutt fitness centers’ shower facilities. They also served as warming locations for families.
At the height of the storm, 76 families were displaced from their post homes, Blackwell said.
As of Feb. 23, 46 of those had returned to their homes.
“Every one of those 76 families were spoken to by the garrison commander, our deputy garrison commander, or myself, as well as their own chain of command,” Blackwell said.
Amid the crisis, Taylor was able to get the Main Exchange and Commissary to open Feb. 16 to ensure residents had access to supplies and food.
The 24-hour Shoppette was also open with limited hours Feb. 15-17, according to social media posts.
Joe Glanzer, Directorate of Emergency Services deputy, said the storms delayed the post’s new gate hours which were to go into effect Feb. 16. Only two gates were open during the crisis. The new gate hours began Feb. 22, and are designed to better support the public.
During the storm, Reynolds Army Health Clinic’s priorities were to reopen its Urgent Care Center and pharmacy, said Col. David Zinnante, Fort Sill Medical Department Activity commander.
COVID vaccinations resumed Feb. 19, and the next day was a make-up day for people whose appointments were canceled because of the clinic closure, he said.
Zinnante encouraged RAHC beneficaries to download the clinic’s free app, which provides immediate updates to its services.Taylor said he visited RAHC as he monitored the storm response, and he saw Soldiers shoveling snow off the sidewalks.
It was yet another example of how Soldiers were helping the community during a weather event, he said.
Randy Butler, DPW director, acknowledged that it had been a busy week keeping Fort Sill on the grid. He said his road crews did an excellent job keeping the primary and secondary roads open.
He stressed to employees returning to work to check their facilities inside and out for any damages; busted pipes in particular.
Darryle Jones, FMWR director, said his facilities are open; however, some of those that suffered plumbing damage will have portable latrines outside the facility.
He asked the community for patience until things get back to normal.
During the storm, Taylor posted, “I have witnessed quite the team effort the past 24 hours,” and “We cannot say it enough: Thank you. We are proud to be on the same team!”
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