Local news- Press Release
City of Brentwood Tennessee - Brentwood Public Works Battles Winter Storm 17 January 2024 ( news )
City of Brentwood , state Tennessee ( By Press Release office)
Jan 17,2024
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BRENTWOOD , Tenn . – Early Sunday evening , Brentwood Public Works employees crowded inside the City’s Service Center , drinking coffee while watching the snow through the windows . The men , bundled in heavy coats and reflective vests , had the quiet resolve of soldiers about to go into battle . The snow would keep falling for days , as would the temperature , and they were ready to step into that miserable winter storm to keep the City’s residents safe .
‘A frustrating and hazardous start’
That evening , the snowplows and salt trucks parked at the Service Center rumbled to life , and the vehicles’ bright headlights illuminated a blinding haze of snow . The ground quickly turned white , and the freezing temperatures made the roads slick with ice . The snowplows headed out into the night , only to find streets clogged with vehicles .
“We got off to a really frustrating and hazardous start with so many cars on the road when the snow started , ” Todd Hoppenstedt , Brentwood Public Works Director , said . “Our initial progress was stunted by dozens of stranded cars , some blocking entire roads . ”
Brentwood Police and Brentwood Fire & Rescue helped clear the roadways , and the City put out an official call , asking residents to stay off the roads . The snowplows soon pushed forward at an incredible pace , scraping sheets of snow and ice from the arterial routes . They worked for hours , ignoring their exhaustion while snow continued to fall .
“The overnight crew of only eight people made an incredible come back getting control of all main roads and most the secondaries before 7 a . m . , despite a few equipment troubles overnight , ” Hoppenstedt said .
‘The persistent snow’
At 7 a . m . , the drivers stumbled out of their trucks , barely able to keep their eyes open , while the next shift began refueling and reloading the salt . A rough , 12 - hour day awaited them .
“While the night shift had made great progress and the roads were looking very good Monday morning , the persistent snow had other plans , ” Hoppenstedt said . “Roads deteriorated significantly throughout the mid - morning hours , and with the help of the Police Department we completed all the main roads , curb to curb , between 2 - 4 p . m . ”
The Public Works crews made progress , but there was no time to celebrate . The snow kept falling , the wind grew fiercer , and the temperatures continued to drop . Both men and machines were in danger of breaking down in that extreme weather .
“We were fighting equipment breakdowns and trying to diagnose the issues underneath the frozen layers of ice on the chassis , ” Hoppenstedt said . “We had two large plow/salt trucks go down . ”
At 7 p . m . , another weary crew stepped out of their trucks , ready to collapse in warm beds for the night . They were replaced by the night shift – barely rested and praying for the snow to finally stop .
Hoppenstedt , barely awake himself , kept a close eye on the weather for the rest of the week .
“Night shift is beginning to return , day shift is tired and ready to rest , ” he said that Monday evening . “We will see what we can accomplish overnight , say a prayer that the snow and equipment God’s are kind to us . ”
The winter weather will likely continue through the coming days , and through it all , the Brentwood Public Works crew will be out in it , working their hardest to keep everyone safe .
“It always makes me proud how well all of your men and women respond to challenges like this , ” Brentwood City Manager Kirk Bednar said in an email to staff . “Strong leadership and committed , dedicated employees will always lead to success . ”
A video of the Public Works Team at work is available
here
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