The Idaho National Guard will be helping the Ada County Highway District with snow removal beginning Saturday.
“Normally, the Guard is only activated when the Governor declares a state of emergency,” said Idaho National Guard spokesman Major Chris Borders. “But since a drill weekend on snow removal training was already scheduled, we figured we could provide direct support to the Ada County Highway District for in-field snow removal.”
It is important to note Governor Otter has not yet declared a state of emergency, nor is any indication that this is forthcoming.
A to-be-determined number of Guard members will be providing eight dump trucks, two graders and two front-end loaders, in the snow removal effort, primarily in residential neighborhoods, Borders said.
The joint effort will continue through Sunday, he added.
A decision not yet be made if the assistance to continue Monday or into next week, when more snow is expected in the Treasure Valley.
With more snow in the forecast in the coming days, ACHD and the City of Boise are working together to remove snow from residential areas. On Friday, ACHD announced it would waive the permit fee for private snow plow use when residents decide to hire contractors to do the job.
