Summer is coming to an end and folks are busy soaking up the last barbeques and sunny afternoons before fall settles in. Snow probably isn’t on your mind right now, but here at Focal Pointe, that is not the case. It may still be summer, but we are in full preparation mode for snow season.
We start heavily planning and preparing for the snow season in August. By starting early, we ensure we are fully prepared to serve our clients whenever that first snowfall occurs. We want our clients to know they can always depend on Focal Pointe as their snow and ice removal company. Below are just a few of the areas we are focused on this time of year:
- Focal Pointe holds multiple meetings to discuss what worked well during the prior snow season as well as to find solutions to any challenges. From these meetings, we establish new procedures and processes and start training immediately.
- We analyze needs for equipment, labor, and material and then get to work on filling those needs.
- Material sourcing starts in early summer. We begin receiving material deliveries in August and September and continuing throughout the season.
Focal Pointe holds two large training sessions shortly before the snow season starts. We hold one training session for all foremen to ensure they are completely comfortable and knowledgeable with equipment, material, processes, and plans. During this training, foremen go over:
- Proper pre-event equipment inspections, installation of plows and spreaders, and post-event cleaning.
- Proper plowing techniques, salt spreading techniques, how to safely apply chemicals, proper loading of chemicals, and site documentation.
- Appropriate clothing, bringing extra clothing, and what food to bring. Training also covers snow shoveling, snow blowing, and effective ice melt applications.
- Effective inter-company communication before, during, and after a snow event. Snow event communication usually takes place outside of normal business hours, so knowing the best way to handle this is very important.
All employees also view a snow safety video to review all aspects of a snow event and how to safely operate during one.
The second training session we hold is for our Route Managers. Focal Pointe takes safety and efficiency a step further and employs a route manager to monitor each property. The route manager checks on their crews and verifies that properties are being serviced in a timely manner to ensure customers have the safest conditions possible. In this training, we go over the administrative side of being a route manager and discuss how to perform as safely and efficiently as possible.
Focal Pointe snow crews understand that snow can be a real challenge for our clients. We want to make snow events as stress-free as possible for our clients, so we take preparation extremely seriously. We want our clients to be able to rest easy knowing their property is a safe place for their employees and customers to visit, despite the snow and ice.
It may seem like snow is too far away to think about, but it is actually right around the corner – “Winter is coming!” In the 2018 season, our first snow event occurred on November 11. That’s a short two months away. In the St. Louis area, you truly never know what Mother Nature will throw your way, but Focal Pointe is ready.