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The crews – comprised of about 30 workers in all – will leave Connecticut Tuesday at midnight from CTDOT maintenance facilities in Wethersfield (501 Goff Road) and Darien (behind the I-95 southbound service plaza) to be on the job Wednesday morning. The crews are being deployed under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact – a state-to-state agreement under which governments provide assistance to each other in times of natural disasters or other emergencies. In November 2014, Connecticut sent crews to upstate New York to assist with snow removal after a storm that left a reported 100 inches of snow in some locations.
“We know what it’s like to experience extraordinary weather events, and we know how important the help of neighbors can be during recovery. That’s why I am pleased that we are able to provide this support to our neighbors. It’s important that we all work together in times of need,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. “Connecticut remains well-prepared to for future extreme weather events – far more prepared than we were several years ago.”
Connecticut will be send two seven-person crews each to Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. along with four jumbo snow blowers, four plow trucks, repair gear and other equipment. The snow blowers, which can move 1,500 tons of snow per hour, are mounted on traditional loaders and, when in operation, are followed by plow trucks to assist in clearing roads.
“Our crews – who volunteered for this assignment – will be working around the clock to get the job done,” CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said. “It is reassuring that we have this cooperative, reciprocal arrangement, similar to what we try to do with major power outages and even fires and other emergencies in the region. We are pleased that we can make these resources available in this time of need.”
The crews will be on assignment for about three to five days.
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