Early Sunday morning while most students were still warm in their beds, crews of workers were already fighting against what would develop into the biggest blizzard to hit Philadelphia since 1996. Working in shifts around the clock, their job would not be completed for several days. Removing snow from Penn's campus -- a job which includes most of the pavement confined within the bounds of 31st and 41st streets and Ludlow Street and Guardian Drive -- proved to be a massive task. "There was a lot of sacrifice on the parts of everyone who worked here," Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. "The bottom line is that nobody missed a beat, and as bad as this snowstorm was, every area was covered in public safety and every area was covered across the board." University officials credit this in part to extensive planning efforts, coordinated from the Emergency Facilities command post in the Left Bank building. When forecasters begin predicting a major storm, officials start preparations, including keeping abreast of weather developments, contacting contractors to be put on standby and checking equipment, according to Anthony Sorrentino, a spokesman from the Office of the Executive Vice President. Officials also ensure that there is enough salt to cover icy paths. Before Sunday's storm, the University had 30 skids of salt on hand. Supervisors are put on alert so that they can be available during the storm. "In any emergency, your biggest priority is how you get staff here," Rush said, noting that some workers needed to be put up in hotels. Starting Sunday morning, six supervisors, 24 internal staff members and a manager were on campus and ready to work, Sorrentino said. Additionally, contractors were called in to assist -- armed with shovels, six trucks with plows and spreaders and two Bob Cats, the teams got to work, removing snow and salting walkways.
After putting in 12 hours of work on Sunday, Facilities teams returned Monday at 6 a.m., working until late in the evening. Meanwhile, contractors labored through the night. Another contractor was hired to assist by transporting piles of snow from streets and walkways to Hill Field. On Tuesday, crews returned at 6 a.m. to continue shoveling the campus out from under more than 18 inches of snow. But Facilities crew members weren't the only ones responding to the snow -- Housekeeping staff, Maintenance mechanics and Operations Control Center staff pitched in as well. Workers were brought in early due to the anticipated bad traveling conditions, and many volunteered to stay on through the entire storm. Additional mechanics were also called in, including a steam-fitter, plumber, electrician, carpenter and refrigerator mechanic. Though classes were held on Tuesday, non-essential staff were asked to remain at home in order to help assist with the snow-removal process. "Whether or not faculty are able to get to campus... we still have 8,000 students living on campus," Rush said, noting that removing snow from residential areas was the first concern. Although most pathways across campus were accessible by yesterday afternoon, work continued in order to widen paths and clear all areas. "It's a back-killer," Facilities worker Johnny Flores said of his job over the past few days. Despite putting in eight-hour shifts removing snow, Flores was still able to smile. "I have a sense of humor," he said. "I do what I can. I'm not a machine."
