Weather, road conditions, work delay comments addressed
Over the last several weeks, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart has received numerous Interactive Customer Evaluation comments regarding bad weather, road conditions and work delays.
USAG Stuttgart installations are geographically diverse, and at any given time, the weather conditions at each can vary.
Military police patrols constantly assess the garrison streets and roads between installations, and determine the road conditions (green, amber, red, black). These conditions only apply to military vehicles, but the conditions are considered by the garrison in determining if schools should be delayed or cancelled, or if late reporting is warranted.
A decision to delay or cancel school because of weather must be made between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. in order to notify school bus drivers by 5 a.m. Once the decision is made and announced — regardless of delaying, cancelling, or continuing as normal — it cannot be changed due to the inability to communicate with all the bus drivers.
The most severe weather conditions within the garrison footprint are used as the basis for the decision-making criteria. If one installation is red, every installation in the garrison is considered red. A uniform procedure to delay schools and work is maintained so that the garrison may respond quickly to emergency weather conditions and protect the safety and well-being of all community members.
When a two-hour delay is called, the intent is to give commuters up to two additional hours to get to work — not to have people wait two additional hours before they depart for their offices. This is especially important for those who live in areas where side roads are not plowed often and the snowfall is hard to negotiate. Those who have a long commute and need more time during bad weather should speak with their supervisors.
USAG Stuttgart announcements of work delays or early releases are for garrison employees only. They will be notified by their supervisors or managers.
For those who work for U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and Special Operations Command Europe or other organizations, work delays or early releases are only authorized by their leadership. These personnel should be contacted by their chains of command regarding extreme weather conditions, delays and early releases.
School and work delay, closure and road condition information is available through American Forces Network radio (102.3 FM and 1143 AM), the USAG Stuttgart website (www.stuttgart.army.mil) and the U.S. Army Europe website (www.hqusareur.army.mil). Community members may also call the USAG Stuttgart Road Conditions Hotline at 431-3744/civ. 07031-15-3744.
The garrison commander urges motorists to review safety tips for driving in snow and ice, take Autobahns where possible because they are salted, and use extreme caution when taking secondary roads.