Four wheelers, Jeeps, snowplows, shovels — Facilities Operations crews have them out in full force attacking the snow, trying to keep pedestrians and drivers as safe and mobile. But, with miles of roads, sidewalks and steps, and steadily repeating snowstorms, it’s an uphill battle both ways.
“We’re kinda running on empty,” said Kathrin ‘Kappy’ Brun, who currently supervises the ground crews are utilizing small equipment and hand tools for removal.
(Photo above, l-r: John Farnsworth, Steve Sarff, Richard Lincoln, clearing steps at Gannon-Goldsworthy residence hall.)
Brun’s ground maintenance crews hit the ground running at 5 a.m. today. Their goal to make two passes through sidewalks, stairways and entrances by 7:30 a.m.
“It’s really a vicious circle,” said Brun, who works as a grounds/nursery service supervisor for FacOps.
“We’ve had worse storms, but not for quite some time,” she said. “The worst storms (to deal with) are during the day, when pedestrian interference slows the removal process.”
Eric Slocum, heavy equipment operations supervisor, sends crews out with snowplows to attack the problem on a larger scale, especially on the streets and in parking lots. Slocum’s bevy of equipment includes two backhoe/plows; two sanding truck/plows; two one-ton trucks with deicer; a front loader tractor/plow; a jeep/plow; a road grader; a Bobcat “skid steer;” a one-ton truck/plow/sander; and two 10-yard dump trucks to haul snow away.
Slocum’s crews have been out nonstop since yesterday evening plowing the streets and parking lots.
“We’re just going over and over the streets trying to get people through,” he said. “We’ve already switched to two 12 hour shifts. All you can do is just keep going.”
Meanwhile, Brun and her crews are armed with two Jeep/plows; two tractor/plows; two Bobcat plows; one Bobcat skid steer; two four wheelers/plows; and a vast supply of shovels.
During the evening, when people are off campus, Slocum’s crews attack the snow full force, plowing, hauling and piling it into vacant parking lots and locations. As of this morning, over five locations have been piled high and filled to capacity.
Leading the charge in the snow removal are 18 employees from grounds, 10 from heavy equipment, and about 120 custodians, who shovel snow from building entries and steps.
“The reason that all this equipment keeps running is the mechanics (from the motor pool),” Dennis Rovetto, director of plant servcies, who oversees all these operations. “When you are running equipment like this 24-hours a day, things wear out and break, and require steady servicing and maintenance. These guys are the unsung heros who work behind the scenes and often don’t get recognized. It’s a grueling schedule.”
