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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, December 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 27, 2004 Interstate 5�s Siskiyou Pass is one of the region�s steepest and busiest, which can cause problems even when the weather is clear like on Tuesday. Throw blinding snow and wind into the mix and you�ve got a recipe for disaste. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Road agencies plan for rough weather By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune En route to sunny California for the winter holidays, many travelers are clad in lightweight clothing and forget they have a 14-mile drive over a 4,310-foot-high mountain pass, where monster snowstorms can hit with little warning. More than 1,200 travelers who were stranded on the Siskiyou Pass in a December blizzard for up to 18 hours will probably never forget that message. "If drivers are as prepared as they were last year, this will happen again," said John Vial, Oregon Department of Transportation district manager. The Oregon Department of Transportation sponsored a meeting Tuesday to discuss a plan for handling emergency operations and stranded motorists on the Interstate 5 pass. They were joined by the Oregon State Police, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California Highway Patrol, local towing and trucking companies, Ashland Fire and Rescue, Jackson County roads department and dispatch operators. The draft plan, released Monday, outlines procedures that until now have been merely verbal agreements. The plan calls for better coordination of information and services. Advertisement What began as one accident on Dec. 28 grew into hundreds of cars getting stuck in the midst of heavy snowfall, high winds and heavy holiday traffic along the pass. Vial said roughly half the drivers emergency crews freed did not have chains, even though the traction devices are required by law in winter. Many ended up spinning out and getting stuck again just a few feet away, he said. Drivers who didn’t have chains dramatically worsened the problem. Few injuries were reported, but a 57-year-old man died from a heart attack he suffered during the ordeal. With more than 70 OSP and ODOT staff working more than 1,000 total hours for those two days, agencies were maxed-out, said Vial. Among changes proposed in the plan is the creation of a shared incident command system between ODOT and OSP, and putting OSP in charge of activating emergency operations, coordinating medical response and aiding motorists. ODOT will handle snow removal and stuck motorists. An ODOT supervisor and an OSP supervisor are to be on-site, in communication, during all storms, he said. During December’s shut-down, there was a lot of confusion over who had what responsibilities. "When each agency thinks they’re in charge, no one’s in charge," Vial said after the meeting. The draft plan also spells out procedures for removing stranded motorists from the mountain, including routes for snow-plow and tow-truck teams, and transporting motorists whose vehicles cannot be moved safely and quickly. Vial said most of the procedures are already in place, just not in a formal interagency agreement. The meeting was an opportunity for agencies to bring to light concerns for the next emergency on the mountain. "I think for the most part, communication is adequate but not efficient," said OSP Sgt. Jeff Proulx. "There’s just a lot of (police scanner) traffic on the radio." Proulx said it’s important for OSP supervisors to get up-to-date information from ODOT supervisors so they can pass it on to troopers on the road. Vial talked about setting up an emergency operations center to coordinate medical and other response. Following the meeting, Lt. Cmdr. Frank Parrish of the CHP office in Mount Shasta, Calif., said his department has already implemented a new policy after last year’s storm. He said as soon as snow starts sticking in Dunsmuir, they stop northbound semi-trucks in Redding as a pre-emptive measure. "Once a truck jack-knifes, we’re done," he said, referring to a type of tractor-trailer mishap in which the trailer goes one way and the truck cab another, making it very difficult to remove the truck. Vial said drivers need to be prepared to drive in snow or else not make the trip. "ODOT and the Oregon State Police are ready for any winter events," said Vial. "However, if drivers are not prepared, the pass will close and there’s little we can do to prevent it." Tips for motorists The Oregon Department of Transportation recommends the following for all drivers before heading over the Siskiyou Pass. The winter season is upon us, they say: Carry tire chains or other traction devices. It’s a state law for certain routes, among them the pass to our south. Fill up your fuel tank. Carry an emergency kit with such things as gloves, boots, an ice scraper, jumper cables, road flares, a spare tire, a vehicle jack, lug wrench and basic tool kit. Throw in a shovel, bag of kitty litter or sand for emergency traction. If you travel with an infant or young children, pack extra food, warm clothes and blankets, extra diapers and toys and games. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities