Bucher Municipal: Soaring high to deliver your best street sweeping solution
Bottom line, you need the best street sweeper for your street sweeping program. Whether you are a small municipality, regional airport or contractor buying your first street sweeper or if you are a large city, airport or conglomerate buying your … More from our cover sponsor →
Whitesboro, N.Y.
When Hugh White settled the town of Whitesboro, N.Y., circa 1784, one of his first orders of business was to win the respect of the Native Americans inhabiting the area. According to the official account by the village, population 3,772, … Continue reading →
Small sweeper with a large attitude
by BRIAN GILES | product manager, Schwarze Industries Introduced late last year, Schwarze’s new A4 Storm regenerative air sweeper packs all the street sweeper features you would expect on a full-size class 7 chassis sweeper on a smaller, more maneuverable … Continue reading →
Reaching out to the next generation of fleet technicians
Dakota County, Minn., has proven its expertise in the world of fleet staffing. Since a merger in 2007, which resulted in all of the county’s vehicle and equipment maintenance and management efforts falling under one unit, the department has ranked … Continue reading →
Snow roadeos provide opportunity for training and preparation for winter
Public works departments across the country hold annual roadeo competitions where snow removal equipment operators participate in a challenging obstacle course to prepare and train them for the upcoming winter’s onslaught. Even in warm-weather states, similar competitions are held for … Continue reading →
Protecting groundwater in a karst landscape takes education and prevention
There are many factors that can make a city interesting and unique. For Bowling Green, Ky., one unique feature is its topography. The city lies on top of a karst system, which means there is soluble rock, commonly limestone, lying beneath the ground’s … Continue reading →
Award-winning streetscape project brings people downtown
After years of decaying streetscapes, unsafe parking options and failed small-scale rehabilitation attempts, the city of Fenton, Mich., decided to fully invest in their downtown area. “The sidewalks downtown were many years old,” Daniel Czarnecki, public works director of Fenton, … Continue reading →
Knoxville seeks to provide citizens with guidance on short-term rentals
We’ve all done it, or known someone who’s done it: used Airbnb to book a convenient and cheap place to stay for a weekend trip. The concept of the “sharing economy,” which includes services like Airbnb, Uber and Lyft is … Continue reading →
Chief Clark passes knowledge on to his hometown
On May 15, Blaine D. Clark, 54, became the active police chief of DuBois, Pa. This position allows him to continue the legacy of his father, Darrell E. Clark, who was the police chief of DuBois for 36 years. “Public … Continue reading →
Water, water everywhere: Missouri communities continue cleanup after May flooding
When the rains began to pummel much of the Central U.S. in late April and early May, community leaders in Missouri knew it was no ordinary spring shower. Within days, over 12 inches of precipitation fell and tornadoes twisted across … Continue reading →
Illinois public work agencies pull together
When a disaster strikes in your area — either manmade or natural — it can be a godsend to have the speedy assistance of other cities or counties in your state, thanks to a mutual aid network that specializes in … Continue reading →
Spreading awareness of mental health in first responders and implementing wellness strategies to help them
First responders experience trauma everyday in their line of duty — it’s just another Tuesday for them. Because they’re constantly exposed to traumatic situations everyday, the job is an occupational hazard. That means it’s time for municipalities to provide their … Continue reading →
Women bring different perspective to law enforcement
Women in law enforcement bring a different set of experiences and perspective to the job that can prove to be a boon to their departments and communities. Chief Tracy Hahn of the city of Upper Arlington, Ohio, and Lt. Lara … Continue reading →
Have a plan before the worst happens
Preparedness both within the fleet shop and workers’ homes comes a long way when disasters — natural or manmade — occur, throwing all into disorder. During his presentation at the NAFA Expo and Institute in Tampa, Fla., in April, James … Continue reading →
To gear or not to gear? How best to handle protests
As the country seems to have become more polarized and protests increase, police departments across the country are tasked with how best to handle the situation when a protest takes place — one that will enable American citizens to exercise … Continue reading →
DeLand, Fla.
When DeLand, Fla., founders Henry DeLand and John Stetson crafted the city’s seal in 1882, little could they have imagined the ruckus they would cause more than a century later. The two devout Baptist men included a cross, anchor and … Continue reading →
Nuclear Trail Weldon Spring, Mo.
One could understandably assert it is not an everyday occurrence to climb over a pile of radioactive waste and live to tell about it, none the worse for wear. One would be wrong. The Weldon Spring, Mo., Nuclear Waste Adventure … Continue reading →
North Olmsted finds versatile staffing solution
Scheduling can be a challenge, especially when it comes to meeting safe staffing levels for fire, EMS and police. North Olmsted, Ohio, Fire Department knew those struggles firsthand as it searched for a scheduling soft ware. Fire Chief Edward Schepp … Continue reading →
MGM leads the pack in commercial vehicle actuator technology
By LEN GONZALEZ, JACKIE EDWARDS AND KIM JONES | MGM Brakes For 60 years, MGM Brakes has been a leader in commercial vehicle actuator technology, providing service chambers and spring parking brakes engineered to operate in the harshest environments. In … Continue reading →