Unsung Heroes: The Background Workers Who Never Stopped

By Antonio Zuniga, CFM

January brought about some strange winter weather. The cold days have been followed by winter storms, often unpredictable in the number of inches. Preparing sidewalks and perimeters is a guessing game. However, our snow service cleaning crew was there on stand-by. The constant communication between our skeletal daytime crew and snow service became critical in preparing for impending weather. Even as daytime and evening staff contracted COVID, the remaining group put in long hours to make sure to treat and clean the perimeters of our buildings. As the FM I was able to get a few hours of sleep knowing that the snow service crew was covering us, especially in the middle of the night. When we arrived on site, the daytime FM could quickly jump on and start treating to ensure that pedestrian traffic was not impacted by the snow fall.

The winter is nowhere near over, so I expect a few more weekends of snow-watch (why is it always on weekends?). Knowing that we have strong communication, quick response, and the ability to respond properly to each situation as it develops is why I consider the folks cleaning the snow the Unsung Heroes.