Facilities Services recognizes 2 types of storms and will react differently for each.

1. A snowstorm that begins during working hours.
2. A snowstorm that begins after normal working hours.

It is the policy of Facilities Services with a snowstorm during working hours that no employees will be sent home until directed so by the Facilities Director, Assistant Director, or Service Response Manager. While it may not be necessary to keep all employees on campus, it is up to the Director’s discretion to require mandatory overtime for certain personnel. The major objective during every snowstorm is to remove all snow on campus walkways and roads to ensure the safety of Centenary University personnel and students. Consideration will be made for each employee with regard to his or her own safety, travel distance, and child provisions as necessary.

Snow removal will begin as soon as there is a covering of snow 2” or greater. The first priority is to keep the roads into campus free of snow in order that vehicles may enter or exit. It is for this reason that while many employees may be sent home, key employees will remain. While shoveling can commence during early morning hours before students and teachers arrive, plowing must continue overnight as the forecast dictates.

If a snowstorm begins after working hours, the Facilities Director will use the emergency calling list to contact the Assistant Director and Service Response Manager with regard to what action will be taken as snowfall begins. After discussion on the nature of the storm, each will make calls to the respective employees needed to come into work for snow removal. It is up to each Manager’s discretion if employees need to arrive for work before normal working hours to assist in the snow removal on campus.

Snow removal will consist of five major

1. Plowing of all roadways and parking lots within the Centenary University campus.
2. Plowing / Snow blowing of walkways within the campus grounds.
3. Shoveling of all building entrance ways
4. Plowing of all sidewalks surrounding the Centenary University campus.
5. Salting of roads / walkways to eliminate all snow and ice on campus while providing easily traveled passageways.

The maintenance staff will be largely responsible for bulk snow removal on campus roads and walkways. Roads will be plowed using the white truck. Hopefully by the time the first snow falls, we will own another truck with a plow on it as well. If not, it may be necessary to bring in an outside contractor. Both (potential) trucks will be used in all areas. Each must have the plow attached well in advance of any storm. Plowing will concentrate first on entranceways to the campus and then to the parking lots – in order of importance. Student parking lots will get plowed last with faculty parking lots being plowed first to insure that professors are able to arrive on campus to teach their respective classes. The Centenary University groundskeepers will be manning the trucks for roadways and the ATV and new John Deere tractor will be used to plow all of the walkways around campus. Additional maintenance staff will be clearing building entrance ways with the Honda 36” snow blower and the 42” Simplicity snow blower. The new John Deere tractor has a snow blower attachment. This will be used in conjunction with the ATV. The small Honda snow blower will be stored at the President’s house and will be used for his house and to assist in front of the Seay building. After the inside of the campus is complete, the grounds keeping and maintenance staff will shift to plowing the outside walkways around the campus with the ATV and John Deere. When the use of salt is necessary to clear roadways, salt will be applied by calling All Seasons Contracting (908) 310-4770 if we do not have a new truck with a salt attachment. Salting roadways will only be applied after all plowing and snowfall is complete unless large areas of ice are present. As a back up, the ATV is now equipped with a salt thrower that will be used to salt all campus walkways. Salting will follow the plowing order as above.

The custodial staff will largely be responsible to assist in the snow removal in front of their own buildings. Currently the large snow blowers will be the primary tools for snow removal in front of each building. Snow removal in front of buildings will be supplemented with the use of shovels in the event we are running behind schedule with the snow blowers. Salt will be made available in each custodial closet and/or the front entryways of each building for use after snow has been removed. The two snow blowers will moved from the Seay building to each of the dormitories as necessary.

The Facilities Department will record each storm in a logbook after every snowfall. The records will be kept to accurately describe the severity of each storm and how much snow removal was necessary. Information in the records will come from the Facilities staff as well as from our local meteorologist, Weatherworks. This logbook can be used in the event of any potential liability issues as well as for tracking dollars spent per year on snow removal. The logbook will contain information on storm dates, accumulation, time of precipitation, hours of snow removal, and summary. It is the job of the Facilities Director or Assistant Director to assure that the logbook is completed after each snowfall. The logbook will be kept in the Facilities office. In addition, the Director of Facilities will keep the Weatherworks forecasts and severe weather alerts in a file in his office.

A map of snow removal on the campus is included with these procedures. This map will be used as a diagram for all Facilities employees so that each understands their responsibilities. Maps will be handed out prior to each winter season in an annual snow removal meeting to be conducted with the entire Facilities staff each year. Prior to this meeting, a snow removal memo (Exhibit E) will be distributed to all Facilities employees in preparation of the season and announcing the forthcoming meeting. All questions regarding snow removal should be directed to the Facilities Services department at X2301.

Snow removal policy and procedures will be reviewed before each winter season and updated as necessary with regard to policy changes, additional walkways, and added equipment. In the event that we are unable to quickly clear the campus of snow, additional plowing, salting, shoveling, and availability of a front loader will be obtained by calling outside Contractors.