On Friday, Mayor Bowser’s DC Snow Team will gear up for the 2018-2019 snow season with a dry run exercise. The Snow Dry Run is a training exercise for the 800+ members of the Bowser Administration’s DC Snow Team (DPW, DDOT, DGS, DHS, HSEMA, Serve DC, and other agencies) to prepare for every aspect of the District’s snow and ice operations.
“Mayor Bowser encourages District government agencies to train year-round, so the city is prepared to respond to any kind of emergency,” said Jeff Marootian, Director of the District Department of Transportation. “The DC Snow Team takes that challenge seriously and will be ready when the inclement weather arrives.”
Throughout the day on Friday plow drivers will drive their routes, checking for obstacles they might encounter during a snow event. Administrative, supervisory, logistics and IT employees will practice their functions at their respective sites, including salt domes.
“The Snow Dry Run gives the DC Snow Team the chance to practice our operations before any snowflakes actually fall,” said Chris Shorter, Director of the DC Department of Public Works. “When inclement weather inevitably hits, the DC Snow Team will be ready to restore our city’s streets quickly and safely.”
In preparation for winter, residents are reminded that they should call the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093 when they see a person who is experiencing homelessness and outside during extreme temperatures. Residents are also encouraged to volunteer with the Resident Snow Team, a coalition of community members who help shovel snow for seniors and residents with disabilities. In addition to the dry run, on November 17, a DC Snow Summit will be held for the full DC Snow Team.
The DC Snow Summit will serve as the official kickoff to the 2018-2019 snow season, and will include a press conference for members of the media to learn more about what’s new for this winter. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
For more information about DC’s snow program and preparing for winter weather, or to see where District Snow Team plows are out working during a storm, visit snow.dc.gov.