By DALE HOGG
Barton County Media Consultant
High on the Christmas wish list for Barton County's emergency responders is a safe, dry holiday season. But that is a tall order for Santa, so officials are wishing for the best, but planning for the worst.
“In a perfect world, there would be no snow, no ice and no one getting hurt,” said Sheriff Brian Bellendir. But, for his office and the other departments charged with keeping the public safe, “winter is tough on us. We don’t know what is coming at us.”
Stay safe out there
“Generally, we’re prepared for it,” Bellendir said. But, as unpredictable as Mother Nature is, human behavior can be equally difficult to anticipate.
The Sheriff’s Office’s two biggest concerns are impaired driving and the weather, both of which are out of their control.
As for alcohol consumption, “if you drink, don’t drive. Get a designated driver,” he said. This is more of a problem during New Year's Eve than Christmas, but it can always be dangerous.
With the weather, rain, snow and ice can wreak havoc for motorists. “If the weather goes south, reconsider driving,” he said.
High speeds and slick roads severely increase stopping distances. “Take it slow,” he said, emphasizing the danger of black ice.
Summing up the roadway dangers, he offered two cautionary tales.
First, “wear your seatbelt,” the sheriff said. “My son was killed in August in an accident because he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. Adam would be alive today if he had been.”
He also offered a historical footnote. “The deadliest crash in Barton County history took place on Dec. 31, 1969,” in a head-on collision near Dundee that claimed five lives.
Also during the holidays, “there are a lot of family interactions,” Bellendir said. Large family gatherings, seasonal stressors and drinking can lead to domestic discord.
This doesn’t just involve spouses, he said. Relatives can square off against one another as well.
Whatever the situation, “it comes down to using common sense,” he said. “We don’t get there until after something happened. It is up to everyone to be cautious and do what they can to stay safe.”
On the road
Preparing for the winter months is a marathon task for county road crews, who are currently spending time getting their fleets ready for the first major snowfall.
"The winter season usually consists of us spending a week to get the trucks, plows, spreaders, and other equipment ready for the winter," said County Works Director Chris Schartz. "There are various things we must do to make sure everything is working when we do get a winter storm.”
When snow or ice hits, Schartz noted the county focuses its efforts on treating the roads, but does not have a pre-treatment policy "due to the costs involved in that." Crews prioritize certain routes first to ensure emergency vehicles can access cities within the county. They are only responsible for county blacktops, focusing salt and sand applications on bridges and on the road sections leading up to stop signs.
However, the efficacy of their treatment options is dependent on Mother Nature cooperating.
"Salt only works to a certain temperature and if it is below that temperature, then it will not melt anything," Schartz said. "What we need is higher temps as well as sunlight."
Crews sometimes face conditions that force them to temporarily halt operations entirely. "Sometimes when the snow is blowing and there is little to no visibility, we will have to park our trucks until the visibility gets
better due to the safety of the operators," he explained. High winds also dictate how and when crews apply materials. "When snow is blowing, we will not put salt and sand down because it can cause it to drift up in areas, causing snow to stick, making it worse. Those are just some of the things that we deal with."
Help on the other end of the line
Communications Director Dena Popp has her list for 911 services, focusing on operational readiness and public education, particularly surrounding severe weather events.
Popp noted that the primary concern is ensuring the safety of dispatchers and maintaining adequate coverage during emergencies.
“With staffing, do we have enough staff on duty when severe weather hits?” Popp said. “This is something we have a backup plan for but depending on when it hits and where it starts, which 911 Dispatchers are available to come in without having to drive through it.”
The director also emphasized the need for coordination with other agencies, including Law Enforcement, Fire Crews, EMS, Road Crews for traffic issues, Wrecker companies, and Utility companies for downed poles or fires.
A key focus of the wish list is educating the public on the appropriate use of the emergency number.
“Do not call 911 for utility outages unless there is a fire or medical emergency,” Popp said. “We call the electric companies just like the public. However, we have emergencies — medical, fires, accidents, etc. incidents that we need to handle. We encourage the public to utilize their utility company phone number or website and call themselves. Please let us handle true emergencies.”
Monitoring the Situation
Popp also encouraged residents to monitor office social media pages for critical information.
“We encourage the public to watch social media,” she said.
Several Barton County departments have Facebook pages that offer real-time weather updates as well as warnings and safety tips. These include 911, Emergency Management, the Health Department, the Sheriff’s Office and the County’s main page – Barton County KS.
Finally, regarding road conditions, Popp advised the public to use reliable, dedicated resources.
“Please utilize Kandrive or call 511 from a cell phone, for road conditions. We do not have road conditions for roadways outside of Barton County.”