The city of Kent prepared for Winter Storm Landon by beefing up staff, enforcing a parking ban and enduring longer shifts.

Kent’s Fire Department expects more emergency-related calls so some employees are working overtime. Additional staff is also shoveling walkways at homes where the ambulance is called so patient care isn’t delayed. Capt. James Samels said an extra staff member worked the midnight shift and two additional employees are working the day shift. He added that so far the emergency calls are not weather-related but that could change.

“We’re anticipating that we could be busier and by bringing in the extra staff we’ve tried to just make sure that we’re prepared.”

In the wake of yet another foot of snow, sleet is added to this storm, the National Weather Service reports. But these aren’t the only obstacles city workers may face today.

The city is working to clear roads without having to work around parked cars. A parking ban went into effect Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. until further notice, according to the city’s website. The ban prevents people from parking their cars on the street, otherwise they could receive a parking ticket or even have their car towed. Capt. Jim Prusha from the Kent Police Department said towing a car away is the last resort.

“What we usually do is wait for the service department to say, you know, ‘this particular car’s a real problem,’” he said. “And then in order to help them out we would try to contact the owner and if we can’t we would, then we would tow it.”

Prusha added that plow trucks will be out clearing roads for the duration of the storm. 

“They intend to go 24-hours a day just until this ends,” he said. “During the heavier sessions of it they’re going to be able to cover like main routes,” but less traveled roads such as side streets will have to wait their turn to be cleared. 

There’s less people driving because of school closures so that helps the snow plows “to clear the roadways off,” Prusha said.

Kent Police Department responded to a call for one disabled car before 10 a.m.

We’re “encouraging everybody to not drive unless they have to and if they do just be extremely patient and take it easy and go slow,” Prusha said. “Keep a lot of distance between them and the car in front of them.”  

On campus, there’s nothing to report as of 10 a.m. People are “laying low” today, said Lt. Joshua Sims from Kent State University Police Services.

Kelly Krabill is managing editor. Contact her at [email protected].