When the wintry snow is pounding the pavement, we have no time to acquaint ourselves with our machines. By then, it’s too late. Everyone knows the panic that sets in when a blizzard overcomes our communities, and we are looked to as a company that’s supposed to assuage the panic while providing steadfast commitment and support.
That’s why, as part of our Snow Boot Camp, we require team members to acquaint themselves with equipment, out in the field, before the winter sets in. During these next months, that’s exactly what we’ll do, substituting mulch for snow to simulate the impending wintry conditions.
Field Day
We kick off our field day training with educational classroom sessions. First and foremost, we make sure all TeamX members have downloaded the tech apps we use to coordinate properties and winter weather clearing services. During these classroom sessions, we go over basic practices and implementation of the apps with new hires, ensuring they have a total understanding of the technology.
Once the classroom portion is complete, it’s time to go out into the field. We go out into our property yard for hands-on training: which is the most important part of the training. First, we cover the sidewalk equipment, like ventracs and snowrators, going over how to operate it safely on any sidewalk.
Next, we cover:
Shovels/Shoveling: A lot more goes into shoveling than you might think. We go over proper shoveling practices, how to shovel, and what types of shovels to use with different kinds of snow.
Snowblowers: We have two different kinds of snowblowers here, requiring our staff to practice using them in a safe way.
Safety First: We require hires to demonstrate they know how to use all of the equipment safely, from start to finish, during these field day trainings.
For individuals that can’t make it to all of the classes, we offer two makeup sessions in the fall. It’s critical that our team undergo this rigorous training, both inside and outside the classroom, to be on par with the rest of us during the trying winter months. We use these off season months as times to catch up with everything else, training our team and onboarding new members, so we’re able to function as one well-oiled machine when the winter winds blow at our backdoors.
We look forward to another successful season of field day training with our esteemed TeamX.
