NOVEMBER 26, 2024 |
Photo – Snow removal map – Courtesy City of Rawlins
As we head into the snowy months of winter, Rawlins officials are asking the public to be aware of the city’s emergency snow removal plan.
Carbon County experienced higher-than-average snowfall during the winter of 2022-23. In response, Rawlins officials developed the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, or CEMP, outlining the city’s snow removal strategy. The CEMP details responses for snowfall amounts, from less than an inch up to a foot of snow. Additionally, the 85 miles of roads in Rawlins are assigned four color-coded priorities based on their importance to maintaining access throughout the city.
Public Works Director Cody Dill encouraged residents to consult the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to see where their streets fall on the priority list.
Dill explained that priority one streets, which are plowed first during a snowstorm, consist of the main corridors through the city. By keeping these roads open, the city ensures that essential services remain operational.
Dill assured residents living on lower priority roads that police, fire, and medical services will still be able to reach them. The public works director said city plow trucks are dispatched to unplowed neighborhoods alongside emergency vehicles.
Dill is asking residents to move their vehicles off the streets when the snow starts to fall. The public works director emphasized that plowing the city’s narrow streets is challenging enough without crews having to avoid residents’ vehicles. Dill said cars and trailers parked on the side of the road may prevent public works crews from plowing those streets.
Dill is also asking the public to avoid driving too close to plow trucks. Plow drivers are focused on clearing the streets and the large vehicles are difficult to maneuver, said Dill.
Dill said if you see a plow truck on the road ahead of you, to give it plenty of space, even if it means going around the block. Also, the public works director said not to shovel snow out into the streets. Doing so violates city ordinance and may result in a fine.
For more information about the Rawlins Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, visit the snow plowing and emergency routes section of the Rawlins city website. Additionally, Bigfoot99 will include a direct link to the CEMP in this story when it is posted to our website later today.
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan: https://www.rawlinswy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17624/SNOW-REMOVAL-OPERATIONS-CEMP—2023—-All-Attachments?bidId=
