WOODSTOCK, Ga. — At the city of Woodstock’s Public Works Department, with a possible ice storm on the way, more is better.
“We have six trucks, 1,000 tons of sand-gravel mix, 17 chainsaws, and 30 personnel working this event,” Public Works Director Jeremy Parker said.
The city has seriously beefed up its fleet to tackle winter weather -- three times what they had in the field during the infamous Snowmageddon of 2014.
Parker said it’s still a team effort with the state and Cherokee County, but Woodstock can carry the ball.
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The Woodstock Fire Department has staged most of its equipment at Station 14 for the next few days.
“Right here is one of the pickups we’ll run our Strike Teams on, with chainsaws and medical equipment. They’ll run the bulk of the calls,” Deputy Chief Jimmy Eley said, showing Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen the equipment.
Eley said unless there’s a fire, the engines and ladder truck will stay in the garage.
The ladder truck is worth $2 million, and they don’t want any icy accidents.
Back at Public Works, the game plan is in place.
“You have to take care of your city. Your residents. We have to get emergency vehicles to where they need to go. That’s our primary focus. Get the primary roads cleared. It’s on us to do,” Parker said.
Parker said his crews will work 12-hour shifts during the storm.