The Department of Public Works is getting ready for winter.
All snowplow operators recently attended a two-day winter maintenance operator certificate program presented by the American Public Works Association and a two-phase training session comprising a presentation and a hands-on behind-the-wheel driving course. The training focused on pre-trip snowplow truck inspections, salt distribution control systems and safety initiatives. Crews also drove snowplow trucks through an obstacle course at the RedGate Park parking lot set up by DPW’s street crew supervisors, prompting City Manager Jeff Mihelich to quip: “This stuff is not as easy as it looks! Maybe the next Winter Olympic sport?”
Upcoming training includes a snowplow truck simulator for drivers with three years or less experience and a “salt summit,” hosted by the city’s Environmental Management Division staff, focused on the impacts of salt on waterways — especially the Chesapeake Bay.