The PubWorks
Tracker
Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 4, Edition 2
Volume 4, Edition 1
Volume 3, Edition 3
Volume 3, Edition 2
Volume 3, Edition 1
Volume 2, Edition 3
Volume 2, Edition 2
Volume 2, Edition 1
Volume 1, Edition 3
Volume 1, Edition 2
Volume 1, Edition 1 |
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The Perfect Storm
The Colorado Blizzards of ’06-‘07
A Tracker Software Staff Report
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| On Wednesday,
December 20 – the eve of the first day of winter – snow began to
fall along the Colorado Front Range. The storm quickly picked up
intensity as moisture-laden clouds were pushed up against the
Rockies by cold artic winds in what is known as an Upslope Storm. By
night, a paralyzing blizzard swept across the Front Range prompting
the Governor of Colorado to declare a state of emergency. |
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Interstate 70 closed from
the airport east to the Kansas border. Interstate 25 eventually shut down
from New Mexico to Wyoming. Various state highways closed, and bus service
was suspended. DIA closed all runways and canceled over 800 flights.
“At this time, there is not a dry road in Colorado,” reported Stacy Stegman
with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
The DOT put forth an all out effort to clear key arteries with 880 pieces of
snow removal equipment and crews working 12-hours shifts all over the state.
Most cities and counties in the affected areas were also working 12-hour
shifts around the clock using their full compliment of snowplows, motor
graders, front-end loaders, backhoes and pickups with plows attached. Public
works agencies in less-impacted areas joined forces with their neighbors.
Many municipalities, including the cities of Brighton, Greeley, Fort
Collins, Littleton, Castle Rock and Lakewood augmented their efforts with
private contractors.
On many occasions snow removal crews had to stop what they were doing to
clear roadways ahead of emergency vehicles on lifesaving missions. At least
one county activated Level 3 snow precautions, meaning suspension of all
operations until visibility improved slightly. Due to the volume of snow,
many agencies had to prioritize their efforts based on their county
emergency response plans.
“Our priorities are etched in stone in the county snow plan,” explained Weld
County Public Works Director Pat Persichino on Colorado’s eastern plains.
“Those priorities are 1) emergencies involving human life/safety, 2)
National Defense Roads, 3) Essential dairy and livestock roads, 4) main
arterial roads, 5) school bus routes, 6) mail delivery routes, and 7)
remaining collector roads.”
Within days of the first blizzard another Upslope Storm walloped the state,
putting ragged crews under continued pressure to protect community life and
safety. The Governor again declared a state of emergency as communities
tried to mobilize all available resources. Due to the condition of the roads
many public works crews were unable to return home, instead sleeping in
their trucks or on cots at city/county maintenance facilities. And most
public works employees were able to spend precious little time with their
families on Christmas and New Years.
The combined precipitation from these two storms was comparable to the
annual average for the Colorado Front Range. And yet another storm socked
the state on January 5. Continued cold weather prevented the snow from
melting, and in many communities there was simply no place left to push the
snow.
“We had 42-57 inches of snow between December 20 and January 5, and our
crews carried out snow and ice control operations for 19 days straight,”
said Lakewood public works director Dick Plastino. |
The costs associated
with the cleanup of such storms are extraordinary. The Colorado
Department of transportation spent $7.1 million on snow removal
between December 18 and January 8, with that amount expected to rise
as more bills are processed. The City and County of Denver estimate
that they spent $3.2 million and another $6.4 million at the
airport. Douglas County spent $2.2 million and Jefferson County
estimated that they spent $2 million on cleanup from the recent
storms.
With these huge storm-related expenses, many municipalities must
look to state and federal financial assistance. A total of 26
counties were declared eligible for FEMA assistance. But local
officials must account for the costs of overtime, equipment, fuel
and materials, and to separate that data by date even as one storm
blends into the next. Importantly, for winter storms FEMA typically
reimburses for any 48 hours of costs within the “incident period”,
so tracking expenses by date and time is imperative. |
The Colorado Blizzards included
stories of personal heroism, organizational altruism,
and industry best practices applied. Following are some
of our top picks for best practices:
1. Have a plan for running operations 24/7 in emergency
situations
2. Discuss expectations with staff regarding reporting
requirements during emergencies
3. Establish a plan for housing and feeding your staff
during emergency incidents
4. During big events, establish a control desk – a kind
of public works incident commander – to coordinate
agency response activities internally and externally
5. Develop Mutual Aid Agreements with neighboring
jurisdictions that detail how you will help each other
during disaster, and who will pay for the extraordinary
costs
6. Have a plan for how much equipment you will keep “in
reserve” to protect your own community in case things
get worse
7. Consider agreements with private contractors that can
be activated in times of need
8. Establish priorities in writing for your roadways, so
you know what to cut when the going gets tough
9. Have a simple plan for how you collect and report
time, materials, mileage and work activities so it is
easy to assess disaster-related costs
10. Manage public expectations about what your agency
can and cannot do |
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In the wake of these massive holiday storms, public works agencies are
re-evaluating their fleets, their fleet maintenance programs, and their
staffing conventions for such extraordinary events. These same agencies are
grappling with the tracking of their time, equipment, materials and fuel for
possible state and federal reimbursement. Fortunately, more than 20 Colorado
cities or counties are already using PubWorks to keep track of
their hours, mileage, fuel, equipment usage, service requests, and equipment
maintenance programs. These organizations seem to be in the very best
position when it comes to submitting reimbursement requests for their
extraordinary costs.
“They just kept track like normal: what vehicle they were in, where they
were, what they did, and what materials they used,” said Tracey Sample,
Senior Clerk for the City of Pueblo.
At Tracker Software, it is that kind of simplicity that we seek every day of
the year, making even a disaster less disastrous.
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