Logan City’s Streets Department undertakes emergeny procedures

Joseph M. Dougherty

With its fleet of backhoes, front-end loaders and dump trucks, Logan City’s Streets Department will be one of the first departments to undertake emergency procedures.

But, as with other departments in the city, the Streets Department will make sure its employees’ families are safe first, said Jed Al-Imari, manager of the Streets Department.

Al-Imari used blizzards as an example of a common emergency his department responds to. After making sure families are safe, Al-Imari said he needs to get his employees to the Logan City Service Center to start opening roads.

“We have main arteries that need to be opened,” he said. “These are 1000 West, 600 East and 1400 North.”

Al-Imari said Main Street, a state highway, is under the state of Utah’s jurisdiction.

He said he works closely and maintains contact with Logan Safety Manager, Scott Douglas.

“I’ll contact Scott, tell him what has happened and then we’ll continue opening roads,” Al-Imari said.

If snow is too deep or drifts are too large for conventional snowplows, the department will use its heavy artillery.

“We have a big snowblower that shoots snow about 150 feet,” Al-Imari said.

Al-Imari said the snowblower can remove drifts that are seven or eight feet deep.

All department employees are trained every year, he said.

“Scott puts on 25 training programs each year that we go through, he said.

Al-Imari said each of his employees is trained to operate each of the department’s vehicles.