DPS Command Post set up at the ADOT Flagstaff District Office on Milton Road (NAZ Today/Patrick Walker)
*This story first appeared Monday, 1/18*
FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)– The threat of several feet of snow this week has prompted the Department of Public Safety to set up a command post in Flagstaff.
After working with a “skeleton crew” earlier this morning, a full shift’s worth of DPS officers were on duty by the afternoon hours in the Flagstaff area, according to DPS Sgt. Brian Eekhoff. He said that there were already a number of slide-offs that officers were responding to on area highways and interstates. If the number of slide-offs and accidents continues to grow, Eekhoff says that additional officers could be called in from other towns like Camp Verde and Prescott.
Back in December, DPS officers were very busy during the snowstorm that included a blizzard at one point. Because of the number of officers working during the storm and the area that had to be covered, it was hard to coordinate efforts with other departments. ”We had some trouble communicating with ADOT during the peak of the storm, so we decided to set up a command post right here [at the ADOT District Office on Milton],” Sgt. Eekhoff said. The command post will allow for supervisors to more effectively communicate with ADOT officials next door in their offices, helping to coordinate information on road conditions, accident locations, and road closures as needed.
ADOT snow plows in formation clear Milton Road in front of Target. DPS is working to better coordinate with ADOT. (NAZ Today/Patrick Walker)
Eekhoff also says that there is somewhat of a pattern with the accidents that happen during snowstorms. He says that the bulk of the accidents and slide-offs that DPS responds to happen when the storms are just starting, or while you can still see asphalt. Out of town drivers, especially motorists from California heading east on I-40 or from Phoenix heading north on I-17, continue driving at normal speeds and hit the slick roads, causing the accidents. Accidents tend to decrease in frequency when the roads become snow-packed and several inches have accumulated on the side of the road, because motorists slow down and drive more carefully with the presence of the snow, Eekoff added.
DPS Command Vehicle (NAZ Today/Patrick Walker)
As always, DPS reminds motorists to slow down and increase stopping distances during times of bad weather. Be mindful of stopped vehicles and emergency workers near accidents.
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