Schriever reminds commuters of Snow Call procedures

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SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  With winter weather looming, Schriever personnel need to know how to receive information about road conditions and base closures or delays.

The following is a reminder of the Snow Call process and procedures:

Snow Call procedures
There are a variety of ways to find out current road conditions or snow call decisions, call 719-567-SNOW (7669), check the Schriever website, the Schriever Air Force Base Facebook page, or check local media stations.

Early release, delayed reporting or base closure may be necessary when road conditions are hazardous or impassable. These three conditions are defined as followed:

Early release
Non-mission essential and non-emergency personnel may depart their work location at a specified time before the end of the normal duty day.  Phased early release of personnel normally takes place at 30-minute intervals to reduce the congestion of traffic departing SAFB.

Base closure
Only designated mission essential military members and Department of Defense civilians are permitted to come on or go from the base.  All mission essential personnel on base will remain in place until their replacements can safely make it to the base. Non-mission essential personnel will not be permitted to leave until off-base roads are deemed safe for travel.  Anyone coming on base will be advised of poor conditions and limited services available. Housing residents on base are not permitted to drive on base roads until primary roads on Schriever AFB are safe for travel.  Emergency exceptions should be coordinated with 50 SFS/BDOC.  Only emergency-essential facilities are open.  All Schriever events are cancelled until further notice.

Delayed reporting
Non-mission essential and/or non-emergency essential personnel have an additional amount of time to report for duty.  There will be two types of delayed reporting- time specific and delay specific. If the delay is time specific, personnel will be directed to report by the time provided in the delay announcement (i.e. "Report time for non-mission essential personnel is No Earlier than 0930.")  Members should plan to arrive within 30 minutes of specified time but no earlier to minimize interference with snow removal operations.  If the delay is delay specific (i.e. "There will be a one-hour delay."), the intent is to give personnel additional time to arrive safely to work, but should depart their residence as in a normal duty day.

Snow Call process
The 50 SW Commander will make weather-related delayed reporting, early release and base closure decisions for only one reason: Safety. Factors used to determine safety include: road conditions, snow or ice accumulation, visibility, weather forecast and the ability to access Schriever parking lots and buildings after they have been cleared.

Road conditions throughout Colorado Springs neighborhoods where Schriever personnel live are also taken into consideration.  More than 70 percent of Schriever personnel live east of Interstate 25, but elevations range from 5,900 to 7,700 feet.  Determining safety starts with assessments by the on-duty 50th Security Forces Squadron and 50th Civil Engineer Squadron.  The goal is to make a decision whether to delay, open as normal or close Schriever and to publicize the decision before 5 a.m.  The 50 SW Commander makes the final decision based on all information provided.

After making the decision, the 50 SW Public Affairs office gets the word out to Schriever personnel via the base website at www.schriever.af.mil, the Schriever facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SchrieverAirForceBase, the Snow Call hotline at 719-567-SNOW (7669) and local radio and television stations.

In Colorado, weather conditions can change rapidly, making the process challenging depending on the strength of the storm. Safety is a priority when making all reporting decisions. Commuters should take their time, drive defensively, and always notify their supervisor if road conditions are more severe for their personal commute to Schriever and if they'll need to arrive at work later than scheduled.

Finally, while leadership strives to make the best decision each and every time for all concerned, some areas will naturally be impacted more than others. It is rare that all 8,000 people working at Schriever will be impacted equally so everyone should take responsibility for their personal safety, practice sound operational risk management and communicate with their supervision.