By Erin Sloan
The Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Grand Traverse County 911 dispatchers are bracing for more calls as Michigan braces for another winter storm to sweep through the region.
Dispatchers received 228 weather-related vehicle crash calls between Dec. 9 and Friday — double the 105 calls they fielded the same week in 2015, said Jason Torrey, director of the county dispatch center.
In that week, Grand Traverse 911’s Facebook page has launched dozens of posts notifying residents and motorists of crashes impacting traffic or gentle reminders of the road conditions.
“People seem to be going too fast, and not heeding advice from law enforcement,” he said. “Safety is the No. 1 concern. Slow down, take your time, put your headlights on and be patient.”
Some crashes in the past week were fatal, four patrol cars were struck, as was a firefighter and a fire truck, he said.
“It’s important to remember rules about emergency vehicles — slow way down and move over if possible,” Torrey said.
Dispatchers also suggest motorists check out the Michigan Department of Transportation’s website for road conditions ahead of a trip, along with visiting their Facebook page for information.
“We post as much as we can about the snow and what’s happening,” he said.
Torrey advises against calling into 911 to ask about road conditions.
“Please use the MDOT or our page as a tool. We simply don’t have the knowledge sometimes — but if we’ve got 6 inches of snow, they’re probably slippery or snow-covered. It’s not an emergency or even a non-emergency,” he said. “But, don’t hesitate to call if you’re involved in a crash.”
Torrey said the page has helped keep the overall volume of calls down, but he expects it will grow during the weekend as another winter storm hits.
Areas of the Grand Traverse region can expect to see up to 12 inches of snow by Sunday — more in isolated areas, said Andy Sullivan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gaylord.
And that’s on top of an existing 8 inches, as recorded at Munson Medical Center on Friday morning, he said.
“The steadiest will be (Friday) night into Saturday, with lake-effect behind it into Sunday,” he said.
Wind speeds will pick up on Saturday afternoon, and, coupled with powdery light snow because of frigid temperatures, will limit visibility and cause whiteout conditions, Sullivan said.
“We’ll see some blowing and drifting issues, not to the extreme we saw earlier this week, but still hazardous,” he said.
Copyright 2016 The Record-Eagle