Baltimore County, MD Hello Baltimore County, 4 Dec 2018

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From YouTube: Winter Storm Response Update

Description

Learn all about the County's winter storm operations and how you can help.

A

Welcome to hello, baltimore county., I'm your host, ellen kobler. winter weather made a bit of an early appearance this year, and forecasts are for a weak el nino with somewhat higher than average precipitation..

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Regardless of what mother nature dishes, out, baltimore county bureau of highways is prepared to respond.

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here, with the view from behind the plow, is anthony russell.. Thank you. So much for joining us.

B

Thank you for having me ellen. so,, give us a little bit of the basics. Here.

A

Baltimore county is a very large jurisdiction.

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How long does it normally take in a routine snowstorm.

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For you to get out and do your first round of salting and plowing?.

B

You need to look at about maybe six to eight hours before we salt an entire route, [ellen kobler] mmhmm and the county's made up of over 164 routes,, which have 50 to 60 miles of road on each route..

B

So we take into consideration six to eight hours to salt, one entire route.

B

and up to 24 to 48 hours.

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To plow an entire route., that's on addition to the six to eight hours.

B

and that's a standard. What we say standard is six-inch snow.

A

Okay,, so that's sort of a regular snowstorm around here.

A

And you handle the not the state highways but you're, mostly the numbered routes., but the other main roads, as well as every residential street, more or less in baltimore county.

B

[Anthony russell]: we handle everything around your neighborhood in the middle of your neighborhood and then we start actually getting into the neighborhoods. [ellen] mhmm, gotcha. [anthony]. It's generally the order, there's no preferred customers. So there's no secret list that you hear about. [ellen], (laughing), right.

A

Now, let's talk about.

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A very major snowstorm.

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in that case,, it's kind of a different story..

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You have to just keep the main roads open, first, right?, we'll keep the main roads open. First.

B

That's generally for our first responders so that you can get in and out. If you do need help.

A

[Ellen] oooh okay. for police and fire.

B

[Anthony] yes.

A

Yeah, alright. and then so initially, what I've seen is you'll kinda go and do as much as you can. A quick pass first to just establish access for people.

B

And make sure everything [anthony] we'll make sure everything gets one coat of salt on it. [ellen], okay, [anthony], then what we'll do is we'll come into your neighborhood you'll, see us, we'll come in and out just to make a quick plow, through., [ellen] mmhmm. and once everything settles down, we'll be focusing on just the number one roads.

B

The main roads, through your neighborhood and around your neighborhood and then once we get those clear, we'll start into the neighborhoods and push 'em all the way back to the curb.

A

I guess that kinda makes common sense, because if you were to go first to the cul de sacs and the courts, then the people would drive to the main roads and they couldn't go anywhere. yeah. yeah.

B

We gotta get in to get you out., that's right., so talk about.

A

The blizzards,, when everybody's running around and decimating the grocery store shelves, and it's the big deal. people on these smaller dead, end streets.

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And cul de sacs,, they just need to be prepared that it's going to be a while, right?.

B

You need to be prepared and be patient, but we'll be there. If you have an emergency of course, call 9-1-1.

A

Okay, how are we looking this year on salt supplies?, we're looking very good on salt.

B

Baltimore county any given time carries over 90 thousand tons of salt at 17 different locations throughout baltimore county.

A

And that's a good bit more,, I believe, than in previous years, previous decades..

A

I mean you've built additional salt barns around the county.. Yes, we've learned a lot.

B

Of lessons on salt over the years.

A

Yeah, yeah. talk to us a little bit about the technology.

A

people. Wanna know what's going on during a snowstorm, and you guys are on social media,. You've got a new app,.

A

Tell us the information that you have available for people.

B

We put out tweets, maybe every two hours,.

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Let you know what's going on and.

B

Somewhat of how the roads are [ellen] uh huh., because the county's so vast, you can go from the east side to northwestern baltimore county.

B

Have one inch of snow and northern baltimore county will have a foot of snow.

A

Yeah, I remember literally one time it was about eight inches in reisterstown and raining down on the peninsulas right. on the water front. yeah. So people should go to twitter @baltcoemgergency and that's where they.

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Can get the every few hours updates and find out about the winter storm operations.

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And the road conditions. yes., yeah, nice. and then you also, baltimore county, has a.

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New smartphone app called baltcogo, and what is that used for in terms of snow storms?,.

B

That's the easiest way to report. If your street hasn't been plowed,, you haven't seen a salt truck, and when you do do that, the only thing we do ask you.

B

Is we put the variables in there for six to eight hours of salt. [ellen] right., the 24 to 48 hours to plow the entire route.

B

So if you would give at least 24 hours.

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Before you start reporting that you haven't seen a plow or salt truck., [ellen] gotcha.

A

Give us time to get there and we'll be there.: okay, yeah. I think nowadays, people with the technology,, you know they think there's like an easy button and all the roads can be just magically plowed.

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At once, but every snowstorm's different.

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I mean sometimes you've got icing conditions,.

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Sometimes you've got the snow coming an inch, an hour.

A

How do you keep up?.

B

Like I said,, we focus on getting salt down and everything to form a brine, so the snow actually doesn't stick to the roadway.

B

Then we go back on our number one roads.

B

We focus on those the big roads around your neighborhood and through your neighborhood, to get those open, and then we start concentrating on the roads within your neighborhood and the cul de sacs and the dead ends.

A

Okay- and I know on the...

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Storm fighter website you can just go to storm fighter, baltimore county, slash, snow or storm or storm fighter., there's multiple ways to get into it and you can see in addition to the twitter feed,.

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You can see a link to the state highways where they have the highway cameras to see actually what the conditions look. Like.

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How do you interact with the state roads?.

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If it's like a county road, that's coming into a state road., how does it work with the intersections and all?.

B

We go up to the state roads and basically everybody works together,. You know we're not piling all the snow up into the intersection.

B

each of us, when they come by. They try to push it to the side and we do the same when we come to their roadways. mhmm. and talk a little bit about.

A

The training for snowplow drivers.- it's not just a week, [anthony] well once...,.

B

Ahead of the storm, right? [anthony] (laughing) no. once a year, we offer a class called snow fighter college.

B

And it's done through our safety and training folks.

A

Great, and that's where they learn how to maneuver the equipment and...

B

They learn the basics of the truck itself., what they look for when they plow.

B

Don't plow to the low side, plow to the.

B

I mean don't plow to the high side, plow to the low side for the drainage. ooh.. That makes sense, as far as the crown of the road.

A

Yes. yeah and talk a little bit about what the average person can do or not do.

A

To help you and your crews get the job done as soon as possible.

B

Stay off the road!.

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Stay at home. [ellen], if at all, possible.

B

If possible., if you gotta, be on a road, just be careful, go slow and give us room to work.

A

Alright and how 'bout, when people are plowing their driveways?, I know that they have to be careful where to put the snow, right?.

B

Just always,, if you're looking at the roadway from your house,, make sure that you're always putting putting snow on the right hand, side.

A

ah Hah! 'cause the plow comes along and you don't wanna put a big pile for them to put in front of your driveway.

B

Yeah, put it back, [ellen] yeah. put it back in your driveway.. That makes sense, course the plows.

A

Essentially, have to push the snow.

B

You're gonna get some snow, but... [ellen] you're gonna get some in front of your driveway. you're, not gonna, get as much as you shoveled also.

B

yeah, yeah., alright. So just to recap.

A

In order for people to keep up with, what's going on,.

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Especially during a major snowstorm,, they just need to be prepared that it may take a while for you to get to them. and then they can go on twitter @baltcoemergency and then, if they're, in a position.

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Where it's been more than 24 hours and they feel like they need to, let you know about their situation, then they can download.

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The baltcogo app and be in direct communication with you.

B

[Anthony], that's it.

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Alright, well luck this winter season and thank you for the job that you do.

B

Very good, thank you!.

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Sure, and thank you for watching hello, baltimore county., remember to connect with baltimore county government on all of our social media platforms and to keep an eye on twitter @baltcoemergency.

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For updates on winter storm, operations.

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(instrumental pop music).