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Kansas City, Kansas, public works crews are preparing for a dangerous, long-duration winter storm expected to bring accumulating snow and life-threatening cold temperatures beginning Friday night and continuing through the weekend.
"This is kind of an unusual weekend, primarily because it's not a short storm. It's a really long-duration storm," said Dave Reno, community engagement officer for Unified Government Public Works.
However, the department faces a severe lack of staff as they prepare for the storm.
"We are pretty short-staffed right now, unfortunately, so what you'll see here isn't a matter of effort, it's a matter of capacity," Reno said.
Public Works is operating with 31 regular snow operations staff compared to a typical level of approximately 60.
The department will transition to split shifts at midnight, maintaining 25 drivers on the streets at all times for 24-hour coverage.
Russell Owens, fleet manager with 29 years of experience, understands the challenges crews face.
"Actually, I started on the street department driving one of these trucks," Owens said. "So I know what it's like to be in that truck — for back then we did 16 hours."
Today's crews work more manageable 12-hour shifts, but equipment breakdowns remain common.
"They'll work 12 on, 12 off," Owens said. "We'll always have someone here ready to go get these trucks if they break down."
Recruitment challenges persist because of the demanding nature of the work and lengthy training requirements.
"This is tough work, and it's not always work that people want to do, because sitting in a snow plow for 12 hours a day really isn't that easy," Reno said. "The other challenge is we have to get people on board and trained up. Some people think we hire somebody and day two they start driving a plow. That's not how it works. They have to get licensed, they have to get a CDL."
Teams have been pretreating hot and secondary routes since Wednesday.
Hot routes include major streets like Parallel Parkway and Quindaro Boulevard, plus streets serving hospitals, fire stations and police stations.
Secondary routes connect neighborhoods to major streets.
If the storm doesn't change its intensity, crews hope to reach neighborhoods by Sunday.
"The typical question is, 'When are you going to get to my neighborhood?'" Reno said. "And truth is, we're going to get to it. I promise we are. Again, that lower staffing level just means it's going to take us a little longer."
Officials emphasize safety during the frigid conditions.
"This is a dangerous cold. Just stay home," Reno said. "If you see plow drivers, keep a safe distance from 'em."
Despite challenges, Reno remains confident: "Don't count us out."
He says the department is hiring.
Visit wycokck.org/Snow for updates on winter weather operations and answers to frequently asked questions.
To report a service issue, dial 3-1-1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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