Comments on: Firefighters brought to safety on a snowmobile after rig gets caught in 12-foot drifts. The story from Frederick County, Maryland.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:48:14 +0000

We tried to get a quarry loader to no avail. An issue was trying to mobilize the appropriate resources on such short notice since the blizzard warning seemed to arrive with the blizzard and deep drifts developed really quickly. They only called for ten inches of snow but it was double that. The county finally got hold of Idaho rotary blowers from the western part of the state which does get higher amounts of snow. It took two days but all the equipment referenced here was freed. The farmers in the area also came to the aid of everyone (law enforcement, first responders, and civilians) stuck in the drifts.

By: Fire21

Fire21 — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:45:43 +0000

I am a volunteer firefighter in Wyoming, and my regular job is with Wyoming DOT. I usually log plenty of hours every winter in a snowplow, but this winter we are having it unusually mild, while the eastern states are taking a beating. I’m here to tell you, 12-foot drifts can best be conquered by two machines…a rotary snowplow (snowblower) and/or a BIG front end loader. Very few motor graders are equipped to handle something so deep. I sympathize with all you folks dealing with these storms. Just hang tight…summer will be here before too long, and we’ll all be whining about how hot it is. LOL! Best of luck.