Township responds to Winter Storm Fern

Last Sunday’s winter storm Fern delivered as meteorologists advertised with West Milford snowfall totals coming in at 18” at Company 4 Fire Department at Macopin Road, 17” in Upper Greenwood Lake and Newfoundland, and 16” in the center of town.

Fern brought most everyday activities to a halt into early Monday as schools and most businesses closed due to the inclement weather and declaration of a State of Emergency, while residents spent hours shoveling and plowing driveways, sidewalks, and pathways.

Many stayed safely indoors and a few drivers like workers deemed essential took to the dangerous and slippery roadways.

On the front lines battling the storm were Township officials and the West Milford Office of Emergency Management (OEM), which serves as a coordination hub with the Department of Public Works (DPW), Police Department (WMPD), Fire Department (WMFD), and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).

From Sunday 5 a.m. through midnight, in addition to tending to snow covered roadways, Township services responded to three fire dispatches, one ambulance call, three motor vehicle crashes, two motor vehicle incidents and one disabled vehicle, and two disputes—fewer incidents than the prior week’s snowstorm.

Ahead of Fern, West Milford Mayor Michele Dale began a series of storm updates on Facebook.

In her initial advisory, Mayor Dale said it’s “All hands-on deck, and all have been working hard throughout the week to prepare for the upcoming storm.”

Dale refuted rumors about a salt shortage, noting “Our crews are fully supplied and ready.” She noted that DPW had reinstated the calculation of snowfall amounts by Township districts in response to resident inquiries. On Emergency Preparedness, Dale posted:

Snowstorm and aftermath

With snowfall arrival early Sunday morning, Dale noted there were many calls about slick and snowy side roads.

“Our DPW crews are doing everything they can to keep up with the snowfall, but conditions are extremely challenging,” Dale had posted. “I’ve been out riding with several DPW personnel today, and it’s rough out there.”

In the snowstorm aftermath, Dale said people can’t understand the complexity of all the road crews have to do and everything they face during a storm.

“Being out there in those conditions is a dangerous task for the crews especially with respect to visibility, slick and often steep roads, wind gusts and snow drifts, and other vehicles on the road,” Dale said. “They have to be constantly aware, focused, and ready for the unexpected.”

DPW resources and storm costs

West Milford DPW director Jay Casbarro said his crews and contractors, mostly comprised of township residents, do a good job in such conditions.

“We have more than 190 miles of roads in the township to maintain,” Casbarro said. “It a round-the-clock operation and we work to be as efficient and responsive as possible.

“There are 35 miles of county roads and nine miles of state highway in West Milford. Throughout the storm we had 35 employees on the roads and five mechanics on standby. Contractors numbered 62 plow trucks and five trucks that both plow and salt.”

Casabarro said the cost per hour to plow and salt at $15,000 per hour for private contractors and DPW at $1,500 per hour overtime, with Sunday’s and holidays at $2,000 per hour and holiday.

Bob Rieder, DPW Supervising Engineering Aid, noted that the priority during a story is snow removal to enable immediate access of the roadways.

“What follows is the cleanup and roadway widening,” Rieder said. “It’s an extended operation, a longer duration, which can take multiple days. We factor in available resources, unexpected incidents, budget optimization, and equipment breakdowns where trucks are taken off the road and conditions worsen at times, and more.

Casabarro and Rieder said snow put back on roadways from people shoveling or plowing negatively impacts operations as crews then need to again plow and resalt, resulting in more work and cost.

Responsibility for attending county roadways on Passaic County.

“We additionally met with Passaic County officials, and I spoke directly with the County Administrator, who was in West Milford for the duration of the storm to ensure county‑level snow operations within our township run properly,” Dale said.