Handling the winter wonderland

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Lynn Aird
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  With a little under two months left in winter, it is important to stay aware of the snow and ice removal procedures here at Vance Air Force Base. 

Severe winter weather is no stranger to Vance. In Enid, temperatures in the winter months typically range from 22-44 degrees F. Combine that with an average of 1.63 inches of precipitation from November to February and you have a recipe for snow, sleet and ice. 

Since November there have already been several mornings with iced-over cars, sidewalks and roads. Operational status was also affected by the weather, with one day with an Early Release and one with Delayed Reporting. However, dealing with inclement weather on base concerns more than duty hours. 

There are procedures and responsibilities relating to property management on base. Operational facilities are the responsibility of organizational commanders/directors. The commanders/directors appoint primary and alternate facility managers for each facility under their control. 

"After the commander appoints them, the facility managers go through a training course so they know what to do and what's available to them," said Tom Ireland, resources accountant for Civil Engineering on base. 

These facility managers become the official contact point whenever their facility needs work. In the case of winter months, this often includes snow and ice removal. 

The area outside the facility the manger is responsible for is designated in Vance AFB Instruction 32-9001. According to the instruction, "the designated area of responsibility is halfway to the adjoining facility, or to an appropriate physical barrier, such as a fence, sidewalk, or street, or 50 feet, whichever comes first." 

Facility managers need to ensure that snow, sleet and ice are removed from the sidewalk and entryways within the designated area so that passage to and from the facility is safe. The removal procedure does not extend to parking lots, however. 

"It's a hard job, but it's a necessary evil," said Staff Sgt. Latasha Fauntleroy, customer support technician of the 71st Comptroller-Contractor Squadron and former facility manager for Bldg. 500. "I'd rather do it than have someone fall and break their head." 

In order to safely and properly remove the precipitation and ice, managers often use Ice Melt, which works in temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees F. Upon request, the Civil Engineering Self Help store located in Bldg. 288 will also loan out snow shovels to facility managers. 

"The rules and the equipment are all here to make sure people stay safe," said Marilyn Hunter, real property accountant for Civil Engineering. 

The residential section of Vance is a separate matter, but procedures are similar. Family housing on base is managed by Pinnacle Hunt Communities, a joint venture between Pinnacle AMS Development Company, LLC of Irvine, Calif. and Hunt Building Corporation of El Paso, Texas. Pinnacle Hunt Communities takes care of the safety of the roads and sidewalks for its residents. 

"We clear up the ice and snow on the streets and intersections to and from the school first for the safety of the children," said Jacey Waggener, in charge of resident relations for Pinnacle Hunt Communities. "After that we take care of the remaining streets, and then we get started on any of the sidewalks that people haven't already taken care of." 

Although residents in family housing are not required to remove the snow in their walkways, driveways or the sidewalk in front of their house, Pinnacle Hunt Communities makes the necessary tools available if they wish to do so. Residents can go to Do-It-Yourself Supply at 1386 Lehr Street, where they can receive Ice Melt or borrow snow shovels. 

Housing residents with questions can call 234-0498.