Feehan letter: Snow emergency plans

I moved here from Washington, D.C., 14 years ago after serving the military. Snow emergency plans were common knowledge there. I operated a snow plowing business there as well. With more and deeper snow events. I never saw a breakdown in social structure there due to a storm like I witnessed in the Treasure Valley last winter.

Last winter left the community reeling with emergency rooms, roadways and employment. I spent five hours in an emergency room with someone who slipped on ice and broke her arm. I was in an auto accident when someone slid into my snowplow vehicle with lights flashing. I know several people who broke bones and wrecked vehicles and lost time at work.

Public safety was at stake and failure happened. Here’s what should’ve happened: the County declares the roads closed except for emergency or snow clearing vehicles for 12 or 24 hours. People will stay home; there will be no traffic and no automobile accidents or slip-and-falls; emergency rooms will have less activity; road crews can clear faster without traffic and all of the stoplights in their direction green. Conditions will not degrade over the 24-hour period, they will improve.

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Feehan letter: Snow emergency plans."