“Last year, DPW&T staff worked 18 snow and ice events,” said DPW&T Director Darrell Mobley. “This winter weather season, we will continue to work to ensure that our roadways are cleared and safe for the motorists in Prince George’s County."
Snow and Ice Dry Run Exercise Scheduled for October 23, 2015
Largo, MD - Prince George’s County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) will conduct its Annual Snow and Ice Dry Run exercise on Friday, October 23, 2015, beginning at 4 a.m.
“Last year, DPW&T staff worked 18 snow and ice events,” said DPW&T Director Darrell Mobley. “This winter weather season, we will continue to work to ensure that our roadways are cleared and safe for the motorists in Prince George’s County, and we will also take a proactive approach to enhance communications with the residents.”
Media is invited to participate in a ride-along with drivers, interview the staff, and/or join command staff at DPW&T’s state-of-the-art Traffic Response and Information Partnership (TRIP) Center located at 8414 D’Arcy Road in Forestville. The TRIP Center is the hub for DPW&T’s coordination of snow and emergency related activities with public safety agencies, state and regional transportation management centers.
The County’s Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) system, which allows for tracking of all County and contractor snow vehicles to determine where a particular vehicle is or has been, will be monitored from the Command Center.
The Dry Run provides an opportunity for inclement weather emergency procedures to be tested before the winter weather strikes. More than 400 DPW&T employees, engineers, administrative staff, project coordinators and bus drivers, as well as crews from other County agencies that partner with DPW&T in snow and ice operations, participate in assignments ranging from snowplow drivers and safety inspectors to supply monitors and customer service representatives.
During the Dry Run, drivers follow their assigned routes to familiarize themselves with the roads, time their runs and conduct inspections to identify any hazardous road conditions that need to be addressed. Safety inspections of all vehicles and evaluations of operational procedures and communication systems will allow for any adjustments to be made before inclement weather hits.
For more information and/or to schedule a ride-along, contact Paulette Jones at 240-712-0298.