Photo By Lesley Atkinson | Fort Lee Family and MWR employee Don Houchins clears snow from sidewalks in the Child...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. - Team Lee received high praise from the senior installation commander for its reaction to and recovery from Winter Storm Jonas over the past several days.
“I want to thank everyone for their teamwork and cooperation during this historic weather event,” wrote Maj. Gen. Darrell K. Williams, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, in a message to the community that appeared on the ArmyFortLee Facebook page Monday. “Given record snowfalls, collectively we took prudent steps to mitigate any negative impacts on the safety of our workforce and accomplishment of the mission.”
The total snowfall for this area was 10.5 inches. Sleet Friday evening, plunging temperatures overnight and blizzard-like conditions Saturday led to a declaration of “black” road conditions, limiting travel to emergency vehicles – a situation that hasn’t occurred here in more than 20 years. Like everyone else, road crews had to wait out the storm. The Directorate of Public Works contractor, Skookum, launched clearing operations Saturday evening and continued non-stop through Tuesday when employees returned to work.
“DPW, the CAT (Crisis Action Team) and the command group definitely deserve commendation,” observed Tim French, director of the CASCOM Safety Office. “Everyone was proactive versus reactive (in regard to post closure and storm safety announcements).
“I have received no personal injury reports from subordinate commands,” he noted. “It appears our community made it through the storm safely, which is the best news of all. It says a lot about people staying indoors and off the roads as recommended in post advisories, as well as leaders and residents correctly assessing and mitigating risks before engaging in storm recovery activities.”
In a situation report provided to the Traveller on Tuesday, the Installation Operations Center highlighted the key strategies behind the Winter Storm Jonas response.
“The garrison team came together with an intentional people and resource focus,” it began. “An early decision brief to the commanding general allowed for maximum notification (post closure announcement released by noon the day before) and preparation of units and individuals. The Exchange and the Commissary adjusted their timelines and resources to facilitate preparations for the storm. Extra fuel was brought in and the Commissary remained open on the morning of Jan. 22 to ensure patrons had another opportunity to purchase needed items.”
Twice daily teleconference discussions allowed leaders to discuss all facets of the developing situation and make effective recommendations to the garrison commander, the report continued. “Key leaders were well informed on the roads, facilities, gates and weather to make the best decisions for their personnel and organizations,” it read.
Enrollment in the Lee Alert system, also referred to as AtHoc, increased dramatically in the days leading up to the storm, which greatly benefitted emergency notification efforts. “The Public Affairs Office provided timely updates via social media,” the report also noted. “The Facebook posts reached 153,521 individuals, were clicked on 15,738 times, elicited 1,000 comments and were shared more than 1,000 times.”
Stephen Baker, garrison public affairs officer, reflected on that particular effort noting it succeeded in not only informing a wide swatch of the community but also in clarifying storm response procedural questions and misunderstandings.
“When reading through the comments, it becomes pretty clear that an event like this can create a lot of confusion and frustration,” Baker said. “Community members want to know when their road will be cleared and what facilities are open. Students worry about their classes and parents want to know if graduations are cancelled. That’s why social media is such a great tool for crisis communication. And we’re learning a lot from the comments posted. It will definitely help our preparedness for future emergencies.”
Another “success story,” Baker noted, is the recently released Fort Lee Hazardous Weather Guide. Its contents include an explanation of early release and post-closing procedures, emergency phone numbers, preparedness checklists and more. A digital version of the product was made available to the community last week at www.lee.army.mil/hazweather. The print version will soon appear as an insert in the Traveller with additional copies available for further distribution.
“While the webpage only provides a digital version of the guide at this time, we’re in the process of developing it into a resource page on the Fort Lee website with much more comprehensive information, including a frequently asked questions section that will be partially derived from the input we received during this latest storm,” Baker said.
Summing up the analysis of Fort Lee’s Winter Storm Jonas response and recovery operations, the IOC report noted many individual issues – such as blocked sidewalks, icy conditions on Hickory Hill Road leading to the Mahone Avenue gate and snow mounds blocking spaces in parking lots – could not be avoided or fixed because of the extent of the storm and finite resources available.
“Our success in keeping the community safe and preventing possibly tragic or costly accidents is the paramount issue,” the summary concluded. “The IOC and the garrison commander echo Maj. Gen. Williams’ words of thanks. Team Lee as a whole deserves recognition for weathering this storm without accident or personal injury.”
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2016 17:04 |
| Story ID: | 187164 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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