DPW: Prep for Storm Began Thursday

Just as preparation is the key to handling winter storms at the Department of Public Works, humor makes its way into the typical winter weather mix.

“We’ve been sleeping,” Department of Public Works Director Buck Sixt joked about his department's storm plans. “We’re getting well-rested.”

Jokes aside, predictions show only one to three inches of snow in Somerset County. At the Department of Public Works garage, Sixt and his workers have been preparing for the storm since Thursday.

“They were out putting brine down yesterday and today on all the main roads,” Sixt said. “All the plows are on and ready and we have a full supply of salt.

“There’s not a whole lot more we can do,” he added.

For the DPW workers, it’s another day on the job—even when it means coming in because the weather’s bad. The preparation is key to snow removal, and the DPW already has its snow strategy planned, regardless of how much snow falls.

That strategy normally begins with calls from the about slippery roads, which prompts the township’s salt trucks to make rounds of the township streets, Sixt said. If it continues to snow, the plows will begin rounds, while workers who are taking a break watch local weather reports for updates on the storm’s progress.

The timeline for rolling out with salt and plows changes depending on the storm. Some storms require constant plowing and salting, while others move through the town quickly. Despite the nature of each storm, the preparation and the procedure remain constant.

“We don’t call them (the workers) in and have them watch and wait,” Sixt said. “We call them in when it’s time to work.”

Most of the workers live within half and hour of Hillsborough, and several—including Sixt and the department’s Deputy Director—live in town. Combined with the weather reports, the network of knowledge gives the department a good idea of the conditions in town during a storm.

“It’s like a military maneuver out here,” he said. “That’s what happens when you have good help. Preparation helps too.”

And the storms that hammered town with weekly snowfall are a distant memory for the township and its workers. Instead, the snow removal is a routine part of winter.

“That’s so far in the past, it’s not even something to think about,” he said. “When it snows, it’s the same drill. You salt, you plow, and you go home. It’s just different hours each time.

“After 35 hours, none of the storms are that exciting,” Sixt added. “It’s by the numbers. It doesn’t matter if we have an inch or two feet.”