When old man winter finally arrives

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott Pryor
  • 911 AW/PA
PITTSBURGH IAP ARS --  February 2010 brought Pittsburgh 48.7 inches of snow, breaking the "most snow in a month" record of 42.2 inches set in 1978. The month also included Pittsburgh's fourth largest snow storm, which happened to be during the Unit Training Assembly weekend.

Many Airmen put their safety at risk that February UTA attempting to travel to the 911th Airlift Wing after encountering incorrect messages that the base was open and operational during a snow storm that left some areas with up to 21.1 inches of snow. Since that time, the procedures for inclement weather have been reviewed to correct any problems with the communication of closure and delay notices.

"No one fully anticipated the record snow fall seen here in Pittsburgh last February. As a result of that some of the standard means of communicating broke down. We've identified those problem areas and we've developed a plan to resolve those issues moving forward," said Lt. Col. Patrick Ryan, 911th Mission Support Group commander.

Safety is always a concern during the winter months, but is especially important when traveling in hazardous conditions.

"When we are faced with potentially dangerous weather, it is the responsibility of each of us to evaluate our own personal safety and use common sense and good judgment when traveling to work. Safety of our Airmen is and always has been our number one priority." "I ultimately make the call to delay work or shut down the base and I'm committed to giving our Reservists as much advanced notice as possible," said Col. Jeffrey Pennington, 911th Airlift Wing commander.

When calling the base for delay or closure updates, DO NOT call other working base numbers to obtain information. Call the Inclement Weather Hotline at 412-474-8732. It is recommended that personnel program this number into a speed dial option in both home and cell phones.

Telephone communication is the primary means of getting up-to-date information on delays and closures. Due to the high volumes of calls placed during inclement weather, there may be telecommunication saturation and lines will often return busy signals; so call early!

As a secondary way of getting updates to 911th Airlift Wing personnel, local media outlets will also be contacted with updates on delays or closures:

KDKA
KDKA Storm Center: 412-575-2551
Website:  http://kdka.com/closings

WPXI
School Closing Hotline:  412-237-1313
Website:  http://www.wpxi.com/11schoolclosings

WTAE
Website:  http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com