Offutt prepares winter tools

  • Published
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Navigating the winter landscape of the Midwest can be dangerous, but there are dedicated people here waiting to jump into action at a moment's notice to keep Team Offutt safe.

With a little planning in advance and receiving information in a timely manner, most winter obstacles can be dealt with.

A great way to start planning for the coming months is to visit the "Weather Information" section on the Offutt Air Force Base website. Not only is there a link to the Weather_Twitter page but there are also inclement weather reporting procedures and a link with frequently asked questions.

An obstacle that can be very daunting during winter is driving while there is snow on the ground. Snow removal teams here work constantly to ensure safe driving conditions for all personnel and family members on base and in off-base housing.

The 55th Civil Engineering Squadron's snow removal teams consist of 13 permanent employees focusing on pavement and equipment, and an additional 25 part-time employees and 16 people from within the squadron, who can be called in during inclement weather.

According to Bill Becker, 55th CES pavement and equipment supervisor, who is also known as "Snow King" during the winter months, these crews work in 12-hour, stand-by shifts for the entire season and are responsible for clearing more than 33 miles of base streets, 65 parking lots on base and five more lots in Capehart housing.

The top priorities for the snow removal teams are the runway, flightline and ramps to maintain the wing's ability to perform its mission. The rest of the base is prioritized on a color-coded map, with the top priority areas in red.

Even with the best preparation and hardest working crews, snow removal takes time. On those days when the snow isn't disappearing in time for duty hours, Team Offutt members can check out Offutt's official Facebook page, Twitter page or call the snow and information line at 232-COLD to get the latest news on official delayed reporting and base closures.

All delay and closure information is updated by the 55th Wing Public Affairs office on-call representative per direction of 55th Wing leadership.

"The biggest challenge is to determine the amount of time it will take to clear the streets so Team Offutt members can safely make it to work," said Col. Gregory Guillot, 55th Wing commander. "Ultimately, we aim to make a timely decision that permits the base to safely continue essential operations. We have more than 50 partner units on base with truly global missions, so it's important we weigh all the pros and cons before making a decision to close the base or direct a delayed reporting."

In the event of a closure or delay, the public affairs team will also call the local news affiliates to get Offutt's closure information on their programs. Keep in mind that just because PA passes the information along to news agencies doesn't mean they will run it.

When in doubt, check with your chain of command and look to other means as a backup.

"The 55th Wing Public Affairs team, in coordination with wing and mission support group leadership, works to get the information out to Team Offutt as quickly as possible," said Ryan Hansen, 55th Wing Public Affairs chief. "As soon as my team gets the word, we get it out to everyone using every available tool we have."

Why go looking for the information if the information can come to you?

"We have created a Weather Twitter page for those who don't want to receive tweets on anything but the weather," Hansen said. "All you have to do is send a text message to 40404 that says - 'Follow Offutt_Weather' - and when there are significant weather delays or closures, you will receive a text message. Keep in mind that standard messaging costs from your cell phone service provider will apply and there are a few service providers who may block the service."

The use of Facebook and Twitter for notifications helps us overcome the past disadvantages of the snow and information line: that is, the busy signals. The line takes longer for public affairs to update because there are only a specific number of lines dedicated and public affairs has to update each one individually.

"Offutt's social media has proven to be a great way to get information to the most people in the least amount of time," said Hansen. "A great feature to the Offutt social media sites is that you do not have to be a member of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram or Vine to view the content."

The official Offutt social media pages for bad weather are Offutt Air Force BaseFacebook, Twitter and Weather Twitter.