Pullman has already been hit hard by winter weather, and Jack Frost isn’t leaving town anytime soon.
The harsh snow and ice conditions have caused high numbers of students to slip, fall and slide on sidewalks and roads, and student safety is on the minds of many.
“Last year we didn’t get much snow, so it wasn’t as bad,” said Stacey Aggabao, emergency services director at Pullman Regional Hospital. “But this year it seems like there are sheets of ice everywhere, and people are taking really hard falls.
The National Weather Service predicts the rest of the 2011 winter will be very snowy and cold. According to its website, La Nina conditions will cause the Pacific Northwest to have lower than normal temperatures and above median precipitation through early February.
Pullman Regional Hospital has already seen a high number of people enter the emergency room with snow and ice-related injuries this winter season, and expects more when students return in Jan. 2011.
“People are coming in with very bad contusions, and we’ve had a couple fractions and lacerations as well,” Aggabao said.
The WSU custodial and grounds crews are trying hard to keep up with the high amount of snow and ice on campus, said Tom Parrish, custodial services director.
“Snow and ice are the first priority, since it is a safely issue,” he said. “All together, our teams can spend 80 or more hours shoveling and plowing in a day to make campus safer for students.”
The Facilities Operations snow removal policy states that the grounds, custodial and heavy equipment crews are responsible for academic and administrative areas only.
Parrish said main focus is put on clearing areas around buildings and making trails before too many people walk on the snow and it hardens, creating the slippery ice that is the biggest danger to students.
“We’ll get in at 5 a.m. so we can get most of the hand shoveling and de-icing done before most students come to campus,” he said.
However many students aren’t worried about falling on campus, but by their apartments, dorms and houses off campus.
Kirstin Larsen, a junior physical therapy major, suffered a bad injury coming out of her apartment on B Street.
“I fell five times trying to get from my front door to my car,” she said. “I had a huge bruise and it hurt so bad I went to the ER.”
Larsen was told she had a bruised rib and a concussion.
Parrish said he knows how bad the conditions get around the city, but that Residence Life and the City of Pullman are responsible for plowing and clearing streets and sidewalks in those areas.
“What we would really appreciate is communication,” he said. “If people see an icy spot and give us a call, we’ll send someone right away to clear it up. We just want students to be safe.”
