Base prepared to let it snow Published Dec. 18, 2015 By John Parker sTAFF wRITER TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Facility managers, snow truck drivers and residential community staff are primed to battle ice, snow and sleet as winter begins Monday. Tinker Air Force Base got its first taste of ice over the Thanksgiving Day holiday, but the storm didn't have any major impacts on base operations, traffic or parking, said Stacy Ballew, Tinker Support Services operations manager. Tinker Support Services is contracted to maintain and repair the base's more than 400 buildings, plus streets, the airfield and infrastructure, including heat and air conditioning equipment. The organization's arsenal includes dump trucks with plows and spreaders to apply sand and, in limited amounts, calcium chloride. "We have 28 pieces of equipment, and we have the capability to run shifts around the clock from the start to the finish of the event and using up to 56 people," Mr. Ballew said. "We watch the weather continuously during winter for projected freezing and precipitation, but temperatures, too. Freezing temperatures can impact a facility if the heat is not operating properly." Streets and parking lots In addition to airfield clearing, Priority 1 snow removal routes comprise the loop of major streets that allow emergency access to the majority of work, flight operations and residential locations. Those include Arnold Street, Air Depot, East Drive near Bldg. 3001, access to Bldg. 9001 and streets leading to primary mission facilities. Mr. Ballew said roads are cleared and treated with sand. Calcium chloride is generally only used at gates, hazardous intersections, road curves and bridges due to environmental and metal corrosion concerns. Priority 2 clearing involves a number of side routes off the main roads, including streets leading to residential areas, where Balfour Beatty Communities is responsible for clearing streets. Priority 3 generally targets side road access to a number of buildings. Balfour Beatty Community Manager Robert Whittington said residents are notified of potential hazardous weather through the company's One Call system of text alerts, emails and social media. Staff members send out weather alerts, along with advice such as moving vehicles off streets during plowing. When snow on the streets hits 2 inches, or there is ice, trucks are dispatched. "We plan for the worst, so the first thing we do is come in and sand the intersections where people are starting and stopping," Mr. Whittington said. "If it gets to the point where the roads between the intersections are getting treacherous, hazardous or slick, then we'll start connecting the intersections and the roads with sand." Base parking lots are prioritized for treating winter hazards after the top three concerns. Command posts, fire and emergency services locations and Security Forces operations have the highest priority. Bldg. 3001's main parking lot follows those, along with child care facilities. "Parking lots can be a challenge because it depends on the time of day and whether people are in or out," Mr. Ballew said. "Parking lots are lower priority because we just don't get that much snow and by the time we get to it it's either melted off or it's packed down and quite often it's safer to drive on the packed snow than it is to drive on ice." He urged base drivers and pedestrians to be alert and plan for extra time in wintry conditions. The Gott Gate and Truck Gate on the west side near the 72nd Medical Group clinic are particularly hazardous, along with the Air Depot curves south of Arnold, Mr. Ballew said. "Those areas are highly traveled, but the conditions can be slick and you can lose control of your vehicle very easily if you're not paying attention," Mr. Ballew said. "The main thing is to be cognizant of the fact that conditions are probably not going to be any better on base than they are off base and that there's snow equipment that's going to be out operating and to be cautious of that." Buildings Each Tinker building has a designated facility manager who organizes volunteers to plan for snow, sleet and ice. In late fall and winter, the managers gather sand buckets and keep shovels on hand for the volunteers to clear and sand sidewalks and entrances. Geri Hart, 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Directorate asset manager, said managers can use calcium chloride on elevated surfaces, such as outdoor stairs, that pose a hazard. "The facility managers are the eyes and ears of the commander, and they're responsible for having a plan, prepositioning all the things you need to remove snow and ice, treat the ground and give special attention to handicap employees getting in and out of cars and buildings as safely as possible," Ms. Hart said. Ms. Hart and Debra Bahr, real property officer with Civil Engineering, urged people to plan ahead, wear proper shoes for the weather and consider strap-on traction cleats that can be worn over regular footwear. "They just need be very aware because I've almost been hit in our small parking lot," Ms. Bahr said. "It's dark in the morning sometimes and somebody may be driving a little faster than they should be."