WESTFIELD—Though Thanksgiving just passed, the city’s Department of Public Works is ready for the snow to fall.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) in Westfield has prepared for any impending snowstorms this season, which includes over 1,000 tons of salt and nearly 100 total snow plows ready to remove snow that may cover the roadways this winter, along with a snow removal computer program. All this is needed to help care for the over 240 miles of roads in Westfield.
“The city has 246 or so miles of roadways,” Fran Cain, Assistant Director of the Westfield DPW, said. “Then you have lane miles.”
A salt storage building filled to the rafters with salt on Ponders Hollow Road, taken last summer
According to Cain, the city has about 20 snow plows that they own and operate to help with the removal of snow. In addition, there are about 75 contracted vehicles that the city can call in to help with snow removal during a storm.
The vehicles are inspected and are up to the DPW’s specifications, according to Cain, which includes being outfitted with two-way radios with GPS capabilities to help them track the plows. The plows are tracked through a computer system called SnowOPS, which the city acquired last year.
The SnowOPS program works by allowing for those overseeing snow removal operations to be able to communicate with contracted and city snow plow operators through radio and text messaging, including before a snow event occurs. The radios also utilize GPS to show the plow’s locations in the area on two large television screens located at one of the DPW’s offices.
A photo of SnowOPS in action. (Picture provided last year by Francis Cain)
All these items can begin early on in the snow event process, according to Cain.
“You’re looking at the weather, hear rumblings something may come up,” Cain said. “Depending on what’s predicted to come you’re probably giving them a heads up the day before.”
And while Cain said that they can only plow when there is something to actually plow, the DPW will have trucks out getting the roads ready hours before an event. So, they will go out with the stockpiled salt and hit the road.
“We will get out there several hours before the snow for pretreatment,” he said. “We put treatment down on the surface. That sets up and creates a brine, so nothing can adhere to the road.”
Cain said that this part is critical to the snow removal process and the safety of the roads.
Then, once the snow hits, Cain said that a full complement of DPW workers can reach in excess of 40 people out in the field, whether they are operating snow plows or snow blowers. In addition, during a full-fledged snow event, Cain said that between 65 to 85 contractors can be out and about helping.
And once the storm is over, the DPW still has work to do clearing snow. This includes clearing snow out of the downtown areas, especially in area parking lots.
“When the storm’s going on they just get in there and make passes,” Cain said, referring to snow plow drivers clearing parking lots. “They don’t clear off the lot until after the storm.”
So, it is critical that residents are aware of when a parking ban may be in effect, so snow plow drivers are able to do their jobs more effectively. Plus, Cain said, vehicles that fail to obey the parking bans get towed.
However, Cain believes that the new blue light notification system coming to the city may be able to help.
“It can be a hassle, but the blue lights I think are going to help out dramatically with that effort,” he said.
Finally, Cain suggests that residents may be able to help with the snow removal efforts in the city. One way is to clear sidewalks in front of your homes, which Cain said is the homeowner’s responsibility.
In addition, Cain said that clearing fire hydrants in front of homes is helpful. He said that the city’s Water and Fire Departments go out and clear “high priority hydrants,” but there are too many fire hydrants in the city for them to be able to clear each one.
