SNOW Line

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Erie County implemented a new phone line, 858-SNOW, just days before the worst blizzard in decades hit the region in December 2022. The new phone line was designed to service numerous non-emergency needs, but when emergency services were entirely down due to the whiteout conditions and snow accumulation, it became a lifeline to offer survival tips to callers on how to shelter in place where they were and helped the coordination between the many departments at its emergency operations center. This service was also used to pivot to the most urgent needs as recovery happened for the following days, from dialysis trips to baby formula delivery.