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Snow removal a team effort

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Feb. 1, 2011, won't soon be forgotten. Blizzards crippled the majority of the United States and Oklahoma was no exception. Tinker closed for two days. When the base reopened, Tinker roads fared better than many city streets and highways. The effort appeared seamless, yet took the dedication and hard work of many base personnel.

When all was said and done, Oklahoma City recorded more than a foot of snow, which was the approximate amount at Tinker. Moreover, the significant icing, 53 mph winds and 2 more inches of snow on Feb. 4, required the removal of tons of snow. Some areas had 2 to 3-foot drifts.

"All I have to say is that our civil engineers, airfield operators, firefighters, security forces defenders, Balfour Beatty Community associates, Tinker Support Services and other vital partners did a remarkable job in recovering the entire installation and getting us back to full-operational status in record time," said Col. Bob LaBrutta, 72nd Air Base Wing and installation commander. "This is a tribute to the incredible hard work, determination and dedication of a work force that not only had to deal with the extreme weather and travel conditions on the job, but also in getting to Tinker while ensuring for their family's welfare as they committed an around-the-clock, 24/7 posture to reconstitute the base."

The storm began in the late hours of Jan. 31 when an arctic front moved into the state. Thunder, freezing rain and ice pellets fell on central Oklahoma at approximately 9:30 p.m. An hour and a half later, blowing snow and wind gusts reached more than 30 knots, or 35 mph. By morning, wind speeds increased and topped out at 46 knots, or 53 mph. Although the snowfall stopped by 5 p.m., winds remained strong.

Approximately four hours before precipitation touched ground, the 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate and Tinker Support Services took action.

"Planning is everything," said Robert Bruce, 72nd CE chief of the Contracting Surveillance Division. "The process of planning is most important - where you consider opportunities and challenges, and ways to meet them. In plan execution, one must not become myopic, but maintain flexibility in order to balance the expected against the unexpected events and conditions."

Referring to the Tinker Air Force Base Plan 32-1002, or the "Snow and Ice Control Plan," crews prepped for the storm.

The plan, a 37-page document, captures the intent of Tinker's senior leaders through outlining courses of action for multiple parties should there be a need to clear ice or snow. The plan lists priorities and responsibilities for various and necessary operations while providing flexibility for key-decision makers to meet mission needs. Ranked first, second or third priority, the plan maps the order in which airfields, roads, gates and parking lots should be cleared. Furthermore, the plan outlines unit responsibilities to facilitate work force safety and mission execution.

The clearing of 2.5 million square yards of runways, taxi areas and overruns, plus 66 miles of driving lanes was performed by TSS. Overseen by TSS pavement supervisor Earl Rooms, up to 16 personnel worked the areas, performing 13-hour shifts.

"The decision to close the base is not made in a vacuum," Colonel LaBrutta said. "I lead the Hazardous Weather Committee and together we conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current and future weather forecasts, the impacts the weather has on our installation and our ability to accomplish our vital national defense missions, a full assessment of the road/travel conditions on base and in our surrounding communities, and weigh those factors against the safety and welfare concerns we have for our work force.

"In this case, the extreme blizzard conditions made it unsafe to travel on/off base and inhibited our ability to prepare the installation to execute the mission," the colonel said. "Accordingly, I conferred with each of my fellow wing commanders and then recommended that we close the base to Maj. Gen. David Gillett, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, who concurred with and approved the recommendation."

By the time the storm died down, the crews blew through roughly 32,000 pounds of calcium chloride, a granulated dry chemical that's applied at the gates, to the roadways, intersections and crosswalks. Additionally, 110 tons of sand was used and, on the runway, crews utilized approximately 2,340 gallons of potassium acetate liquid deicer. The figures do not reflect quantities used for the 76th Maintenance Wing's Depot Maintenance Activity Group payment clearance contract. The DMAG contract used approximately 2,000 gallons of potassium acetate and 3 tons of sodium acetate.

"As long as the wind was blowing, we were working against Mother Nature," Mr. Rooms said.

Thomas "Grif" Griffith, base engineer for the 72nd ABW/CE Directorate, agreed.

"To keep the airfield and our street driving lanes open, we had to plow the same areas over and over again," he said. "Once the wind calmed and the sun came out, we were able to make great progress and now have safe airfield pavements for our aircrews and roads for our workers."

Before the week was over, Mr. Rooms and his crew were at it again, cleaning up after the Feb. 4 snow storm, which dropped a mere 2 inches.

"Despite working more than 12-hour shifts for nearly a week, our crews continue to maintain superb 'can do' attitudes and have an outstanding safety record," Mr. Griffith said. "We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we work hard to restore the base after each snow event."