Hat sends snow-removal equipment to assist Calgary

By Jeremy Appel on October 4, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

The City of Medicine Hat sent four pieces of equipment — two graders and two sanders — up to Calgary on Tuesday to assist with snow removal after Alberta’s biggest city received 40 centimetres in a 12-hour period.

Merrick Brown, the Hat’s director of emergency management, says Calgary put out a request for assistance to the other eight members of the Municipal Emergency Partnership — Edmonton, Strathcona County, Leduc, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie and Medicine Hat.

This was the first time a city as large as Calgary requested snow removal help from the Hat, he added.

“We had the option to say ‘no,’ however we knew the trouble they were in and wanted to support as much as we could, while obviously keeping our operations intact,” said Brown.

“From a weather-related event, going to a larger city is not as common as a smaller city.”

However, it is quite common for cities in Alberta to request assistance from each other.

Brown cited the example of Medicine Hat’s 2017 wind storm, when the Hat received assistance from the City of Lethbridge with electricity distribution.

Jeremy Petryshyn, manager of municipal works, says Medicine Hat carefully assessed its situation prior to agreeing to send its equipment to Calgary.

“When we sent four, we made sure we had a compliment strong enough to support what we saw coming through the weather,” said Petryshyn.

The City of Medicine Hat began snow removal around 4 a.m. Wednesday, dispatching four graders, seven sanders and two plow trucks.

The city sent out three sidewalk clearing machines at 6 a.m.

“We had enough of a workforce to handle absolutely what we saw coming,” he said, adding that the same manpower wasn’t needed Tuesday morning.

“Everything was melting the previous night.”

The four workers sent to accompany the equipment were still in Calgary as of Wednesday afternoon.

Petryshyn said the workers will either return if they’re needed in the Hat, or when Calgary no longer needs their services.

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