Preparation: Different Meanings to Different People
Depending on where you’re located, preparing for winter can take on a number of different forms By Stephane Babcock
typically milder climates and fog along the normally warm,
Tis past summer saw heat waves in sunny
shores of
Southern California. So when winter be- gins to makes its appearance in a couple of months, will we see the same flip-flop in the daily weather forecast? According to the 2010 Farmers’ Alma-
nac, colder days are expected this winter, one during which temperatures will likely average below normal for approximately three-quarters of the country. So how will districts prepare for a harsher winter? Te same way they always do.
Staying Ahead of the Storm When deciding on what to do with the
possibility of inclement weather, schools districts do not rely simply on the local weather man as their only source of win- ter-related information. Some schools, like Cecil County (Md.) Public Schools, look to experts who have been keeping an eye on the weather since 1962. AccuWeather is considered by many as one of the world’s leading weather authorities and provides weather information to the media, busi- nesses, government agencies and other
institutions, such as school districts. Aside from the detailed information he receives from AccuWeather, Supervisor of Trans- portation Bob Markwardt also relies on his associates from around the state. “Maryland is a county school system
state, so there are only 24 school systems in the state, and all of the supervisors/di- rectors actually keep in touch with each other as snows move into the state to see what Mother Nature is dishing out 50 miles away,” said Markwardt.
Beaches Do Not Always Equal Warm Weather Even in vacation cities such as Virginia
Beach, districts need to be ready for the changing climates.
In the last 29 years,
Virginia Beach City Public Schools Trans- portation Director David Pace had never performed more road checks than he did last winter. With a district that encom- passes approximately 310 square miles, the weather, as well as the road condi- tions, can vary significantly. “Te major roadways are in good driv-
ing condition, but neighborhood roads remain treacherous,” state Pace, who has a
44 School Transportation News Magazine September 2010
Are You Gelling? With colder temperatures comes is-
sues with diesel fuel. In his former life as a transportation director, Iowa State Direc- tor Max Christensen, now an employee of the state’s department of education, followed a very rigid schedule so far as running blended diesel fuel. “Winters in Iowa can be especially cruel, and there is nothing worse than having a
very specific set of procedures he follows during any storm, which begins with him driving the roads at 3:30 a.m. Head south and the start of winter
also heralds the end of hurricane season for some school districts in Florida. Jerry Klein, administrative director for Miami- Dade County Public Schools, focuses on hurricane preparedness in terms of fuel procurement and management, FEMA procedures, and coordinating evacuation procedures with the county law enforce- ment and emergency services agencies. “Our only impact as a result of a more
moderate winter would be additional ex- penses related increased air conditioner use on the buses,” added Klein.
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