Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on Friday said the city is preparing for a major winter storm that could drop up to a foot of snow by preparing additional trucks and calling in extra workers.
The mayor also is prepared to declare a state of emergency if needed. That would slash red tape for the city to bring on outside contractors to help plow roads.
“First and foremost, the priority this weekend is the safety of our residents, our crews and our first responders,” O’Connor told reporters during a Friday news conference in the mayor’s office. “We are preparing for the worst-case scenario.”
Pittsburgh has about 8,000 tons of salt on hand, which officials believe will be enough to weather the weekend storm. An additional salt shipment was expected Friday afternoon, O’Connor said.
The mayor said he is tracking the National Weather Service’s forecasts, which are predicting about 10 to 12 inches of snowfall, starting Saturday night and tapering off Monday morning. That would mark the largest snowfall the region has seen in about 15 years, the weather service said.
The city currently has 75 trucks with plows and salt spreaders, O’Connor said. About 40 trucks are currently out of commission, a problem the city often encounters as it struggles to update an old and breakdown-prone fleet.
An additional 19 trucks are available that have either a plow or a salt spreader, but not both, the mayor said.
To bolster those numbers, O’Connor said, the Department of Public Works Environmental Services Division will put plows on its pickup trucks once those vehicles finish their trash collection routes Saturday.
The city won’t collect garbage Monday so those vehicles can remain in use clearing snow.
Top officials will staff a new Snow Response Command Center at the City-County Building Downtown this weekend, part of O’Connor’s efforts to revamp the way the city addresses snow. Pittsburgh has long been criticized for taking too long to treat slick roads.
O’Connor said the city’s vehicle maintenance garage will remain open from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Tuesday to address any snow plow problems.
The city’s Forestry Division also will be staffed this weekend, ready to clean up any trees that may fall on roads or power lines.
Snow updates will be available on the city’s website throughout the weekend.
If conditions get too bad, O’Connor said, he is prepared to declare a state of emergency. That would clear the way for the city to hire outside contractors to help clear roads. The mayor said officials also have been in touch with state and federal emergency management officials.
Acting Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams said additional police and EMS personnel will be available as needed throughout the weekend. How much they ramp up staffing will be dependent on the volume of emergency calls the city receives, he said.
Emergency response vehicles are outfitted with chains on the tires and carrying shovels in case crews need to dig themselves out of snow.
Williams asked residents to do their part to alleviate the burden on emergency responders and plow drivers by staying off the roads and parking off the streets if possible.
“If you have elderly neighbors or people who have difficulty getting out, check on them,” he added. “Let’s be good neighbors to one another.”
Since he took office earlier this month, O’Connor said his administration has added 110 volunteers to the ranks of the city’s Snow Angels program, which pairs volunteers with seniors or disabled residents who can’t shovel their own sidewalks and driveways.
Anyone who has questions or concerns about snow removal should dial the city’s nonemergency 311 line, which will be staffed with live operators from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. Sunday.
The mayor reiterated that 911 calls should be reserved for emergencies.