CMAFS Inclement Weather Procedures/Information Sources: Are you ready for the snow? Do you have the right sources for information on delayed reporting? If not, Id like to take this opportunity to inform/remind personnel of our local inclement weather terms/restrictions, weather/snow procedures and information sources (per 721 MSGI 32-3). To meet mission requirements and ensure the safety of our personnel, commanders must ensure all their personnel working at CMAFS have been briefed and understand these procedures. These procedures apply to all military and civilian personnel assigned to or performing duty at CMAFS, including associate units/mission partners. 1. Personnel categories. Commanders and supervisors must ensure their personnel have no doubt as to when to report or remain on duty. For purposes of reporting during inclement weather, commanders will designate personnel as either ESSENTIAL or NON-ESSENTIAL: a. MISSION ESSENTIAL personnel are those personnel required to continue mission essential activities. These personnel include, but are not limited to, firefighters, security forces, command and control, snow removal, medical, dining facility and 24-hour work center personnel. Commanders designate positions as mission essential and notify incumbents of each position. Mission essential status must be included in civilian Position Descriptions (PD). Tenant units will adhere to their own procedures after considering the safety of their personnel. b. NON-ESSENTIAL personnel are those personnel not designated as mission essential and that could be delayed for short periods of time (hours to days) without serious mission impact. Commanders and supervisors must identify non-essential positions and ensure applicable personnel are notified. 2. Inclement weather actions. a. BASE CLOSURE means only ESSENTIAL personnel must report for duty or remain on duty if weather is serious enough to prevent replacement staffs/crews from safely reporting. To provide rest/relief to personnel remaining, units will designate sleeping areas. Each unit will designate a representative to sign out cots and blankets from the Shelter Management Team (SMT) Snow Call CONEXs. The 721 MSG/CEX will issue cots during CMAFS closures. If closure occurs during non-duty hours and the 721 MSG Emergency Manager is not available, the 721 MSG Fire and Emergency Services may be directed to issue cots/blankets. At the beginning of the severe weather season, units may request to be issued cots/blankets to store during the severe weather season. Upon reopening of CMAFS, unit representatives are responsible for coordinating with 721 MSG/CEX to return all cots and blankets to the SMT CONEXs. If predicted weather is so severe that CMAFS closure may be likely, commanders should consider recalling next shift personnel, with button-up kit, to provide adequate coverage and rotating shifts. b. DELAYED REPORTING authorizes NON-ESSENTIAL personnel additional time to safely report to duty. Delayed reporting will be implemented when off-base conditions are such that additional time is required for road crews to make conditions safer. Delayed reporting is also designed to give our on-base snow removal teams time to prepare the base for normal activity following a major storm (clearing roads, parking lots, etc.). Personnel should plan to arrive no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the delayed reporting time to minimize interference with snow removal operations. Delayed reporting is mandatory for non-essential personnel. c. PHASED EARLY RELEASE means NON-ESSENTIAL personnel may depart their duty location at a specified time before the end of the duty day. Phased early release is designed to minimize traffic congestion leaving CMAFS and to give those individuals who are traveling the greatest distance to their homes additional time for safe travel. Notification will be passed through unit commanders, email and giant voice. Phased early release will be accomplished in four, 30-minute intervals according to phases by zip codes (shown below). Commanders/directors/supervisors may use their judgment in deviating from phased early release, considering the unique individual circumstances of their employees and the specific characteristics of the weather event. Mission requirements will dictate which personnel can be released and at what times. Below are the prioritized, phased-release Zip Codes taken from 721 MSGI 32-3. For safety considerations, those areas farthest from the installation are released first: Phase I: 80840 80908 80912 80920 80921 80928 80930 80831 80132 80133; ALL other zip codes North of Woodmen Rd and West of Manitou Springs Phase II: 80915 80918 80919 80922 80929; ALL other zip codes not in Phase III/IV Phase III: 80817 80829 80904 80907 80909 80911 80914 80916 80917 80925 Phase IV: 80903 80905 80906 80910 80913 80926 d. NORMAL REPORTING means weather conditions were assessed and safe travel conditions were determined to be present, enabling normal base operations to continue. Normal reporting will be updated on Severe Weather Information Line (SWIL) at 474-3333. News media will NOT be notified, as they report only when there are changes in reporting hours. 3. Information sources. Note, CMAFS inclement weather decisions may be different than other front-range bases as our weather/road conditions may be different; be sure to watch for CMAFS (not Peterson AFB) decisions. After weather conditions are assessed and a decision is made by the 721 MSG/CC (close, delay, release), the 721 CES notifies base personnel (working or at home) as quickly as possible through several means: - Severe Weather Information Line (SWIL): 474-3333 recorded message. During snow season (1 Oct – 1 May), daily updates are made NLT 0500, which includes reporting instructions. - 721st Mission Support Group Facebook page: https://facebook/721MSG ; like page to get auto-notifications - Television: KOAA Channel 5, KKTV Channel 11, KRDO Channel 13...scrolling banners at bottom of screen - On-duty personnel through email and giant voice. 4. Civilians. Refer to 21 SW Civilian Personnel Office guidance for civilian leave policy during early release, delayed reporting and installation closures. 5. Safety. The safety of all personnel is paramount. Regardless of the conditions on base and my weather condition determination, each person must assess their own situation and driving conditions for safety using a personalized risk management processes. When in doubt, consult your chain of command. Coordinate with your supervisor if your situation requires special consideration. Our goal is zero accidents or injuries for our commuting personnel. 6. Please direct any questions to your supervisor or 721 CES/CEX. Lets all work together to have a safe winter! VR TRAVIS C. HARSHA, Colonel, USAF Commander, 721st Mission Support Group Cheyenne Mountain AFS Installation Commander
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 03:33:10 +0000