The roads are finally clear and Forney residents can still be seen cutting fallen trees and branches days after a winter storm swept across North Texas on Thursday night, December 5, 2013.
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Forney Fire Department Chief Rick Townsend said his crews begin prepping for winter storms before they strike. “To be prepared for this type of weather incident we have to start planning many days in advance. Since there is such a good weather prediction system in place these days we usually know a week in advance when we should expect ice or snow,” said Townsend.
From early Friday morning, December 6, 2013, until the next Monday morning, the Forney Fire Department was dispatched 49 times on winter weather related calls. Those numbers include 16 motor vehicle accidents, 18 fire and downed power line calls, and 15 sick or injured from general illness, slipping on the ice, or other injuries, according to Townsend.
Members of the Forney Fire Department, Forney Police Department, and Public Works Department were on the streets early Friday morning sanding the roads and bridges, cutting downed trees, responding to emergency calls, and bailing out stranded drivers.
In preparation for winter storms, Townsend says, “We will check all of our trucks, generators, power saws, small tools, and other equipment to be sure they are fueled up and working properly. This is actually part of our daily equipment check each morning but we are extra cautious when we know cold weather is on the way.”
Depending on the type of call, the fire department will first send out their smaller four-wheel drive trucks on calls which are more capable of handling the icy road conditions. If needed, the larger trucks will then be dispatched. “This is for safety and better performance in the snow or ice,” said Townsend.
Early Friday morning, Oncor reported to inForney.com power outages for nearly 4,000 Forney residents that were reported at approximately 6:00 a.m. At 9:36 a.m., a majority of the power was restored to Forney area residents including those affected by the outages in Windmill Farms.
"We should all be very grateful for our Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments," Forney Mayor Darren Rozell told inForney.com. "Those brave men and women work to ensure public safety, provide rescue efforts, and support our community, while giving up time with their families."
From early Friday morning, December 6, 2013, until the next Monday morning, the Forney Fire Department was dispatched 49 times on winter weather related calls. Those numbers include 16 motor vehicle accidents, 18 fire and downed power line calls, and 15 sick or injured from general illness, slipping on the ice, or other injuries, according to Townsend.
Members of the Forney Fire Department, Forney Police Department, and Public Works Department were on the streets early Friday morning sanding the roads and bridges, cutting downed trees, responding to emergency calls, and bailing out stranded drivers.
In preparation for winter storms, Townsend says, “We will check all of our trucks, generators, power saws, small tools, and other equipment to be sure they are fueled up and working properly. This is actually part of our daily equipment check each morning but we are extra cautious when we know cold weather is on the way.”
Depending on the type of call, the fire department will first send out their smaller four-wheel drive trucks on calls which are more capable of handling the icy road conditions. If needed, the larger trucks will then be dispatched. “This is for safety and better performance in the snow or ice,” said Townsend.
Early Friday morning, Oncor reported to inForney.com power outages for nearly 4,000 Forney residents that were reported at approximately 6:00 a.m. At 9:36 a.m., a majority of the power was restored to Forney area residents including those affected by the outages in Windmill Farms.
"We should all be very grateful for our Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments," Forney Mayor Darren Rozell told inForney.com. "Those brave men and women work to ensure public safety, provide rescue efforts, and support our community, while giving up time with their families."