Kingdom Landscaping Signs 3-year Snow Removal Contract with Meritus Health of Hagerstown, Maryland

It seems fitting that while I am writing this note, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Washington County, Maryland.  And, not a moment too soon; our snow removal contracts with Meritus Health just became official last week.  So, let the 2013-2014 winter snow removal season begin...

Kingdom Landscaping has been providing snow removal services for the Washington County, Maryland, healthcare system since 1999.  In those days, all of the outlying medical facilities were managed by Antietam Health Services at Robinwood Medical Center.  However, since the new hospital was built, everything is now managed by Meritus Health.  We are excited that we were awarded the contracts once again.  We will be servicing the following facilities:

• Boonsboro Medical Center
• Kenley Avenue Professional Building
• Home Health Care of Washington County
• Walnut Street Medical Center
• The Learning Center
• Downsville Medical Center
• Williamsport Medical Center

In addition, we also service Antietam Pediatric of Hagerstown, which is an independent medical facility.

Providing quality snow removal services for medical facilities is extremely important and a responsibility that we don't take lightly. The parking lots and sidewalks must be safe and accessible for patients of all ages, those who are handicapped, in wheel chairs, on crutches, etc.  So much more goes into this business than meets the eye.  When hiring Kingdom Landscaping for snow removal you can depend on:

• A company that is on call 24/7 from October through April.
• Daily monitoring throughout the season of six different weather reports.
• Pre-salting of all facilities when a Winter Weather Advisory has been posted.
• On the job until the job is done...even when it means no sleep for 36 hours+.
• Enduring all types of weather conditions....extreme cold, freezing rain and sleet, heavy snow, wind gusts, blizzard conditions, etc.

Whether you love snow or you hate snow, if you choose to live in the Mid-Atlantic area, you are going to have to deal with snow one way or another.  Here are a few safety tips I'd like to share from the perspective of a snow removal provider:

• Avoid driving if at all possible.  The fewer cars that are on the road, the easier it is for snow removal personnel to move around from place to place more quickly.
• Don't pull out in front of plow trucks; they can't get stopped as quickly as you can.  They have more weight behind them especially if they are carrying several tons of salt.
• Don't try to "dart" in and out and behind and around plow trucks or loaders; they might not see you.  This is very dangerous.  Be patient and please wait for them to get out of your way.
• In parking lots, park next to other cars in one particular area if possible (don't spread out all over the lot).  This will enable the plow truck to clean a row of empty parking spaces if possible.  Plow trucks cannot clean in between parked cars.  Their main focus is the driving lane.

I guess the one thing that snow removal personnel appreciate the most is appreciation for what we do.  It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it, and a little bit of thanks goes a long way.  We try our best to keep the pavement as clear and safe as possible.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!