INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)– The city government has a plan to keep people safe when winter weather hits.
That plan includes additional drivers to help clear ice and snow.
“Emergencies don’t wait for snow and ice to melt. Our first responders need to clear streets as soon as possible to keep our residents safe, ” said Mayor Joe Hogsett at a Wednesday news conference.
Sixty-four drivers will be added to the Department of Public Works (DPW) this season, for a total of 170 drivers with 12-hour shifts to keep the roads clear.
Erin Escobar will be one of the new drivers. She spoke to News 8 about what its like driving a salt truck. She described it as “intimidating at first.” After she got trained, she said that it’s “comfortable, like driving a big pickup truck.”
Eighteen thousand tons of salt is stored in seven barns throughout the city. The Democrat mayor said, “That’s a lot of salt, 18,000 tons. This means DPW is officially ready to do what they always do keep our roads clear and residents safe.”