I was happy to hear that there will be no snowfall snafus this winter and during future winters.
But then I began to wonder.
First, Deputy Chief James McGovern is either a city sanitation officer who worked his way up the ranks or a political appointee given the title in place of a career sanitation officer who knows how to fight a storm … and maybe save lives.
Then I wondered if other city departments have been given assignments and practiced them before a snowstorm ravishes our city.
Then I wondered if they received an allotment of salt at their plants in readiness to go at a given signal.
I also wondered if the private contractors will be supervised this year so that they may be able to do a proper job and not run rampant through city streets, causing all kinds of havoc. Whatever happened to all the career sanitation officers whom we used to see in past years? Could this be why were having snafus?
I wondered, if during a heavy snowstorm, the plows only work the highways, as suggested by McGovern, until they are all open. But how would a fire truck get to a fire to save lives? How would an ambulance get to an emergency if it is bogged down? How would Con Edison bring the lights back on in case of an outage? How will buses be able to maneuver around piles of ice and snow?
I wondered how, after the highways were up and running, would people get from their homes to the highways if the streets are bogged down, even though the highways are clear? How can people get on to a highway if all the entrances and exits to them are loaded with snow and ice?
All city agencies should be stocked up and ready to go at a given signal to do their jobs.
Al DeNapoli
College Point
