I publicly commend Long Branch Public Works Director Fred Migliaccio and his crews for an outstanding job in fighting the recent snowstorm. All the streets were cleared down to the blacktop — and garbage and recycling materials were picked up on time Friday morning.
Snow fighting is the most challenging task a public safety director — or in my case, a city engineer — faces, because unlike most other disasters, snow can rapidly close down an entire city. You must be able to clear the primary or emergency routes for the safety of all the residents, and then the secondary routes for the convenience of the residents. This must be done in a timely fashion. Time is most important, committing and sustaining your crews and equipment is next, and cost of operations is last.
Fighting big storms can nearly bankrupt a city budget — particularly if state and federal financial assistance is not received. And, if not done successfully, it can greatly jeopardize the safety of all the residents, including schoolchildren, and seriously affect the local economy.
Yes, there are some very helpful snow-fighting standards: salt/sand as soon as snow covers the blacktop, plow when snow reaches a depth of two inches, and plow and salt/sand simultaneously depending on whether the snow will continue or the temperature will drop. In East Orange, we limited sanding because of possible degrading to the storm sewer system, but in 1978, we were one of the first to add calcium chloride to improve the effectiveness of the salt.
There are also helpful guidelines for timing street clearance — primary streets cleared by start of morning rush hour, if snow accumulated in the evening or night — or primary streets cleared by start of evening rush hour, if snow accumulated during the day.
Then the tough decisions must be made. How to most effectively commit and sustain crews and equipment (and supplies), and to utilize contractors to supplement city forces. Once operations start, they continue until completed, so you must be cognizant of crew fatigue and snow blindness, and limit road time to no more than four hours between breaks.
In the great 1978 snowstorm, we utilized contractors to supplement plowing and hauling snow (which may not be required in Long Branch) because of snow accumulation and narrow streets. We also used two weather services, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and historical data — with all this technical data, I also relied on my Bible and prayer, because we had to protect almost 70,000 residents in a city of four square miles with 81 miles of roads.
Another very significant challenge is that snow fighting can have very serious political consequences, and mayors across the country have not been reelected for not clearing the streets in a timely and professional manner.
As I remember, the 1978 storm operations in East Orange cost more than $100,000 (with only a $25,000 budget), but we were commended by the mayor, city council and the public, and in the spring were asked by the tri-state commission to make a snow-fighting technique presentation on television.
We used to say, "Snow fighting is worse than shooting craps, but it feels great when you win." Again, I commend Public Works Director Migliaccio and his crews for doing a great job.
Avery W. Grant
Long Branch