Fighting the monster storm
1 Aug, 2004 By: Ron Hall LM Special ReportsIntegrated Resource Systems discovered that being prepared means never having to say you're sorry
Professional snow contractors don't mind a good dusting every now and again. Indeed, they look forward to the occasional storm. It keeps crews and subcontractors sharp as it brings in needed cash.
 Know where you can pile snow on clients' properties. |
But is 72-in. of snow in a 42-hour period too much of a good thing?
Well, yes and no, says snow fighter Sam Granados, recounting how his company Integrated Resource Systems battled the biggest snowstorm ever to hit the Denver area. The storm began March 18, 2003, and before it was done it had dropped anywhere from 40 to 72 inches of snow on the communities dotting Colorado's Front Range.
"There were times we thought the storm was going to break, then it would let us have it again," recalls Granados, whose company is headquartered in Wheatridge, CO. At times it seemed as if the leaden sky had crashed down upon mountains as it dumped up to 4 inches of snow per hour, he said. This was no light, fluffy event. The storm started with 3 inches of rain, but as the air temperature dipped it turned to a heavy wet snow, a sodden mass that weighed 25 lbs. per sq. ft., Granados' estimated.
 Equipment used in the storm |
Amazingly, Integrated Resource Systems wrapped up its plowing operations within 6 hours after the storm ended. That didn't mean its work was done though; it hauled snow from its commercial accounts for the next 3 days. It also spent days clearing storm drains to prevent flooding and repairing curbs damaged during snow removal.
Granados is proud of the performance of his company during the storm, but he says it taught him and his managers valuable lessons, lessons that would be valuable to any snow contractor facing a major snow event. Says Granados. "Actually, I think what we did was quite an accomplishment."
For starters, a commercial snow/ice contractor has to have the capability to service each and every client — even in a once-in-a-lifetime storm.
"Some the area contractors lost accounts due to the storm. We were fortunate. We picked up some key accounts for this last season because of he storm, " he says.
Granados offers these tips for dealing with the "big" one:
- Review your contracts and keep them up to date.
- When you tell customers what you're going to do, make sure you get approvals. "We had five or six properties that told us to stop, go home, come back when the storm is done," says Granados. "If you do that you might want to inform them that it's going to cost three to five times more than if we keep pushing."
- Make sure all your subcontractors have insurance. If you have to, get the certificates faxed to you. "If they don't have a certificate, they don't plow. I don't care how big a storm is," says Granados.
- Consider adding a service truck to your fleet. Breakdowns, even flats, can be costly during a storm. A properly equipped service truck can get your equipment running again promptly.
- Follow the storm updates. Keep in touch with your dispatcher and office personnel. Integrated Resource Systems can dispatch in both English and Spanish, since most of the hand labor is done by Hispanic workers.
- After the storm, touch base with customers. Make sure that your service was good and you didn't plow in the general manager's car.
- Ask your clients for referrals and renewals after the storm, especially if you know you've done a good.
- Always think safety first. Outfit your crews with proper dress and equipment.
In his outfit, supervisors wear distinctive pullovers with their names and the company logo on the back. This lets customers know who is out there and in charge. Shovelers wear vests with a number, and all employees have a lanyard holding identification and a badge, which they receive when they complete appropriate training.
But the best advice Granados has for anybody offering professional snow and ice management is what anybody who was ever a Boy Scout already knows — be prepared.
Inspect clients' properties prior to a storm, determining where to put out markers and identifying areas to pile up the snow on each property.
Says Granados: "You have to think of everything possible that can go wrong and then check that list. The preparation has to be phenomenal, working with everybody, getting everything set."
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