Snow removal team braves late-night cold to clear campus

At 2 a.m. on the eve of an impending snowstorm, most Penn students are crawling into bed, taking comfort in the fact that they will not have to brave the cold for a few hours.

However, as students are winding down for the evening, the Facilities Services staff is just beginning to wind up, preparing to embark on the tremendous task of campus snow removal at the sign of the first flurry.

The snow removal team -- which is comprised of 40 employees, three snowplows and an array of snowblowers, shovels and sweepers -- is an essential, yet often overlooked, part of Penn's staff. Working in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia's Department of Streets snow removal squad, the team is charged with the daunting task of clearing every University sidewalk, stairway and street from 31st to 41st streets and between Chestnut and Pine streets before classes begin.

Though not apparent from the spotless paths and walkways, which are almost always cleared by morning, the process of campus snow removal is an around-the-clock ordeal, which technically begins days before the storm even starts.

After listening to weather forecasts, Urban Park Manager and Facilities Services member Kris Kealey makes a decision regarding how to deploy her staff and equipment. Though carried out in different ways, Kealey's goal is always to make the campus safe for students by removing snow and ice in the most effective way possible.

"I try to plan in advance and bring people in before the storm starts," Kealey said. "I send out the proper staff and equipment early so that the campus will be clear by morning, because if you wait, you're always behind the eight ball."

Kealey may call workers for overtime duty at any time night -- which can be taxing for her staff.

"If they call us at 2 a.m., we have to be here," Facilities worker Jose Colom said. "It gets exhausting, but we don't have any choice -- it's our job. They need us to make it safe."

However, even this type of advance preparation is sometimes not enough to overcome the unpredictability of Mother Nature.

In extreme situations, in which there are seven inches of snow or more, Kealey is forced to call in a subcontracted company to help plow and salt the campus.

"We support our union, so our first priority is to use our own staff, but sometimes, the situation becomes so dangerous that we have to call in a contractor," Kealey said.

Even with the help of a contractor, however, the elements may become so overwhelming for the Facilities staff that the University may be forced to close.

For example, despite the Facilities staff's diligent plowing and shoveling efforts last winter, the University was forced to call in a contractor and cancel classes for two days following a blizzard.

"We do our best to avoid closing school at all costs, but last year during the 18-inch storm, there was just no way around it," Kealey said. "We worked non-stop, but we had no choice."

In this rare situation, the Facilities staff was forced to work almost continuously for four days straight, pausing only briefly to eat and sleep.

Though frequently physically exhausting for the staff, snow removal has perks as well.

"Working for 36 hours straight was tough," Facilities staff worker Richard Graham said. "But by working all those hours, I knew I was doing the right thing and making the campus safe for students."

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