IMPORTANT information regarding Fort Knoxs severe weather plans (including post delays, closures and early releases) During the winter season, the likelihood of severe weather conditions increases and with that so too does the possibility of changes to the installations operating status. To avoid confusion when such situations arise, it is imperative that all Fort Knox personnel understand the following processes, key terms and ways to stay informed. During a weather emergency, the garrison commander (in coordination with the commanding general and Fort Knox Community Schools superintendent) may direct the following: • A delay in reporting for work/duty/schools • Early release from work/duty/schools • Closure of the post/schools In the event of such a delay, early release, or closure, weather essential personnel are still to report to or remain at their place of duty as directed by their supervisor. Weather essential personnel are identified as: • Emergency services personnel (law enforcement, fire department, and emergency medical services officials) • DPW maintenance workers and staff identified to maintain essential services • Ireland Army Community Hospital emergency services personnel • Security personnel for restricted areas and access control points • Installation Operations Center (IOC) staff and Crisis Action Team (CAT) members, as required • Shoppette managers and employees • Commissary manager and designated employees • Designated dining facility personnel • Other personnel identified by supervisors (A guideline for identifying weather essential personnel is to include those who are needed to continue mission essential operations and/or those needed to provide support to Fort Knoxs severe weather response operations.) ***NOTES: 1. It is the responsibility of supervisors to identify, in advance, their weather essential personnel and to ensure those individuals understand their designation. Employees who do not know if they are considered weather essential should check with their supervisors immediately. Also, the term weather essential personnel is different than the term key personnel; although, some key personnel may also be weather essential personnel. Check with your supervisor for clarification. 2. For information on Ireland Army Community Hospital delays or closures, call the hospitals general information phone number at (502) 624-9333 or visit their website at iach.knox.amedd.army.mil. Installation delays and closures will be announced via the AtHoc Mass Warning Notification System, (502) 624-KNOX (5669), Fort Knox Access Channel (Time Warner Cable – channel number 12-97 or 12.4), the Fort Knox Internet at knox.army.mil, the Fort Knox Intranet at www2.knox.army.mil/, email via the Knox Ops Center Msg and/or KNOXINFO, and through the following area media: TV: • WAVE 3 (NBC affiliate) • WHAS 11 (ABC affiliate) • WLKY 32 (CBS affiliate) • WDRB 41 (FOX affiliate) Radio: • NPR WFPL 89.3 • Classical WUOL 90.5 • WFPK 91.9 Radio Louisville • 93.1 The Fox • WMMG 93.5 • WULF 94.3 • WQMF 95.7 • 97.5 WAMZ • WQXE 98.3 • 98.9 Radio Now • KMO Country 99.3 • GEN-X Radio 100.5 • ESPN Radio 101.5 • WAKY 103.5 • WLVK 105.5 • 107.3 The Point • My Sports Radio 790 AM • 84 WHAS 840 AM • Talk Radio 1080 AM WKJK • ESPN Radio 1430 AM Social Media: • Facebook – facebook/fortknoxky • Twitter – @fortknoxky ***NOTE: Because the medias automated weather closing/delay input systems are limited by the amount and type of information they will accept, messages about delays/closings/early release will be short and simple. Fort Knox personnel should expect to see or hear such messages as Fort Knox 2-hr delay or Fort Knox closed. The messages WILL NOT provide information on which personnel are to report or remain at their place of duty, so it is imperative that all Fort Knox personnel understand, in advance, their work responsibilities in the event of a change in installation operating status. Information on early release will typically be announced to all Fort Knox commanders and directors by the IOC via email. This is the preferred method because supervisors are given specific times to release their employees, which allows for controlled, staggered release and avoidance of exodus congestion issues. Early release may also be announced through other communications channels, depending on the situation. The garrison commander will set road conditions, and Directorate of Emergency Services and Range Control staff will enforce road conditions/safety. Drivers of privately owned vehicles (POVs) are encouraged to use the following road condition measures as a guide, with the exception of the chain requirement. Chains should not be used on POVs driving on garrison roads. If having to drive during hazardous road conditions, extreme caution should be exercised. • GREEN - No restrictions. • AMBER -Proceed with caution. Roads have been cleared or snowfall is light. There may be patches of ice and snow on the roads. For military equipment, use of chains is at the discretion of the vehicle commander. Commanders of vehicles such as heavy-equipment transport (HET) should consider postponing certain operations until road conditions improve. • RED - Roads are covered with a thin sheet of ice or snow and are extremely hazardous. For military equipment, at a minimum, chains are required on the drive wheels of all wheeled vehicles. Operating wheeled vehicles such as HETs without chains is prohibited. At potentially dangerous areas on roads (e.g., hills), military vehicles and transportation motor pool (TMP) buses will stop, all passengers will dismount and march up/down hills at a safe distance in front of/behind the vehicle. Tracked vehicles will not be operated on icy roads or areas considered dangerous by the unit commander. Under road condition RED, the unit commander, in coordination with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security (DPTMS) Range staff, will determine if POVs can operate within the training complex. • BLACK - Not considered passable. Only emergency vehicles and those in support of installation snow and ice removal operations are authorized on installation roads and streets. For military vehicles, this will be 4X4 vehicles only; it does not include General Services Administration (GSA) vehicles. Chain requirements for these vehicles are the same as stipulated for road condition RED. ***NOTE: Road condition BLACK does not prohibit weather essential personnel traveling by POV from entering the installation. Dial (502) 624-KNOX (5669) for garrison road condition updates and (502) 624-COLD (2653) for range road condition updates. Changes to road conditions will also be announced through the Fort Knox Access Channel (Time Warner Cable – channel number 12-97 or 12.4), the Fort Knox Internet at knox.army.mil, the Fort Knox Intranet, and email via the Knox Ops Center Msg and/or KNOXINFO. Supervisors are also responsible for developing and maintaining strip maps to off-post residences of their weather essential personnel as part of ensuring these personnel can be located and transported when necessary to their place of duty. Organizations are encouraged to use their internal resources (e.g., GOV) to pick up weather essential personnel unable to travel to work in their POVs. If no internal resources are available, requests for transportation support should be forwarded to the IOC. Please contact your supervisor if you have questions about any of the above information.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 14:25:27 +0000
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