'Take this seriously': Milwaukee city officials stress safety, patience during winter storm
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee city leaders and county officials are prioritizing safety as this winter storm progresses.
Several departments throughout the city have all hands on deck to tackle this storm.
The Department of Public Works hit the streets Wednesday at noon to pre-salt main and residential roads.
The winter storm warning is forecasting snow, wind and dangerous temperatures.
"Do not travel if you do not need to travel," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Despite a staffing shortage, Milwaukee DPW has more than 270 plow drivers ready for rotating 12-hour shifts.
"We have 7,000 lane miles that the DPW snow team addresses. We're going to get to every street. Please be patient, drive slow, and take your time," said Jerrel Kruschke, the commissioner for Milwaukee DPW.
The Milwaukee Fire Department asks residents to heat your home safely, charge your electronics, and ensure friends and family are safe.
"Pick somebody, or two, or three, or four people to check on. Especially your older relatives or people who are just in older homes that may not be able to withstand these types of extreme temperatures," said Assistant Chief Joshua Parish.
In the case of power outages, We Energies requested mutual aid if needed.
"If your power goes out, report it to us. Don't assume your power is out," said Brendan Conway with We Energies. "If there's an outage, know that our crews are out there. It's going to be cold; it's going to be difficult. On the best of days, restoring power can be a bit of a challenge."
The city is requesting all residents to be patient and make safety a priority.
"We want to make sure people are able to celebrate the next holiday as well, and that means making sure that we take this seriously," Mayor Johnson said.
The city's Department of Public Works has the ability to declare a snow emergency, which could affect parking rules.
DPW has not yet made this decision but will provide updates as the storm progresses.