Winter weather preparations underway for DMV organizations
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC News Now) — In the coming days, the DMV will get a first glimpse of what’s to come in the winter season. But, with the cold comes preparations across several organizations.
Preparation is key when it comes to the winter season. Regardless of snow, ice or sleet, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) says preparations never stop.
“What that means for us is to look at our equipment and make sure it has all the parts that it needs, make sure it’s operating correctly along roadways, and then just constantly replenishing our soft supplies and make sure we’re ready for whatever mother nature has in store for us,” Media Relations Manager Shantee Felix said.
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In addition to checking equipment, MDOT has added about 105 road weather information sensors to provide quick solutions to any roads that are impacted by winter weather.
“We can be out in our Baltimore office and know that a road maybe in Silver Spring is wet or damp or has sleet or snow and we’ll know in advance how to treat that and what crew to send out to that location,” Felix explained.
Local shelters are also preparing for those looking to warm up from the cold. For REACH in Washington County Maryland, it takes a lot of moving parts
“It takes months and weeks of planning, so every night we have between 15 and 20 volunteers to do a variety of roles,” Executive Director of REACH, Jeannie Asbury said. “Now half of those are in the kitchen and the other ones might be [in] paperwork, search hospitality, just a variety of areas.”
However, according to Asbury, the winter weather shelter is still in need of more volunteers.
“That’s our greatest need in general to positions that are sort of challenging to fill our overnight volunteer and our morning volunteer,” Asbury said.
All in all, both organizations said they are ready for whatever mother nature throws at them this winter season.
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