Police and Fire Departments Prepared for Blizzard

Stranded vehicles in the snow were the most frequent calls police received during last week’s snow storm. 

More than 20-inches of snow fell in the Chicago area Feb. 1 and 2, causing roads to close and intermittent power outages. Bitterly cold temperatures and severe winds added to what is considered the worst snow storm here in 40 years. 

Crystal Lake Police responded to 44 calls for assistance due to motorists getting stuck in the snow between Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, according to Commander Dan Dziewior. 

“People are stuck in the snow or they had some problems that the engine could not continue,” he said. 

Police would arrange for a tow to be dispatched if possible and transported stranded drivers to a temporary shelter at McHenry County College until their vehicle could be extricated from the snow. 

Police coped by extending the overnight shift to 12 hours and brought in investigators and school resource officers to work street patrols. It utilized the department’s two Ford Explorers and four-wheel drive vehicles from the Fire Department, Wastewater Division and Engineering Division. Officers were strategically situated throughout the city during the height of the storm where they would best be able to respond to service calls. 

“We did have a couple of volunteers who had snowmobiles from a snowmobile club that did come and assist us in getting to places if need be,” Dziewior said. “The Park District police have snowmobiles and they were working the outskirts of town that were unreachable by any other means.” 

Overall, there were 156 incidents police responded to or initiated, including fire/medical assistance, road obstructions and reports of traffic accidents. 

The 11 traffic crash reports during that time period involved no injuries, and in fact were lower than the previous year at this time with 13 crash reports and a total of 158 calls. 

Because U.S. Route 14 and State Route 176 were impassable for a time during the storm, calls for medical assistance required transporting fire/rescue patients to Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry rather than Centegra in Woodstock. 

Power outages did not affect the city’s traffic signal system, something that Dziewior attributed to the new LED system which comprises most of the city’s traffic lights. These LED signals are backed up continually by batteries that have been recharging while there is power. When power cuts off, the batteries keep the signals functioning for up to 12 hours. After that time, if power has not been restored, generators can be plugged in at the site to keep the lights working. 

Dziewior thanked residents for staying off the roads and staying indoors where they were safe for the duration of the storm. 

“Because of that we were able to maintain or level the degree of service that we needed to get through the storm,” he said. 

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue didn’t see an increase of calls over a typical day, said Deputy Chief Paul DeRaedt, but the snow combined with blowing and drifting made it more difficult to get about. 

In anticipation of the storm, four additional firefighter paramedics were added to normal staff and the loan of three pickup trucks with plows by the city’s Street Division helped them get around. 

DeRaedt said that a firefighter at each of the department’s three stations manned one of the plows. 

“Anytime that station went out on a call, the pickup with the plow went out with them to assist either plowing to get into a driveway so we can get up to the house, or plowing to the scene and in some cases if necessary plowing to the hospital,” he said. 

If not responding to calls, firefighters spent their time constantly plowing the fire stations to ensure entrance and exiting. 

The department is in the process of removing snow from the more than 3,000 fire hydrants in the city now that things have normalized, he said. The McHenry Fire Chiefs’ Association has requested residents clear at least a two-foot diameter around fire hydrants close to their homes if they are able, as well as a path to the street. 

In addition, it advises homeowners with high energy efficient furnaces to remove snow within three feet of the exhaust/intake pipe to prevent furnace failure. Natural gas-fueled clothes dryers and exhaust pipes should also be clear of snow to avoid a buildup of carbon monoxide in the house. 

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. James Wagner said that the department followed an existing snow plan and had adequate staff to prepare in advance for the storm. 

The emergency plan put deputies into 12-hour shifts, which allowed for more people out on the street wherever they were needed, he said. 

“I think we handled it as best we could under the circumstances,” he said. “It was difficult. We did experience some problems in dealing with the drifting and the wind. Keeping the roads clear was almost impossible for those crews.” 

Most of the calls were for motorist assist–people whose cars got stuck in the snow or slid off the road. 

“Dispatch did a great job of just staying on the phone with people and verifying they were able to get to safety even if their cars were still stuck,” he said. 

Some responses to stranded motorists took several hours. Wagner said he knew of one motorist stranded for eight hours, and was fine when help arrived. Most people were taken to safety much sooner by deputies, leaving their cars stranded for up to 24 hours. 

During the peak of the storm, 15 of the department’s vehicles got stuck in snow and one of the deputies was stuck in his car for 13 hours. 

“We had our snowmobiles out so we were able to bring them gas so they could keep their cars running,” Wagner said. 

The department’s five snowmobiles were in use during the storm and several four-wheelers. 

By Feb. 3, service calls had returned to normal, he said. 

Wagner said he thought people for the most part were well prepared for the storm and blamed drifting snow for the number of motorist assist calls taken during the worst of it. 

“I think the citizens of McHenry County were very cooperative and patient with us; very understanding. And we certainly appreciate that,” he said.