American ingenuity at work

American ingenuity in the face of Frankenstorm
Nov. 12, 2012
To keep tool boxes and shop equipment out of the flooding caused by Hurricane, the DPW garage in Oradell, NJ, stored them on a raised runway vehicle lift.

It is in times of stress that American ingenuity comes into play more than normal.

A while back, the DPW (Department of Public Works) garage in Oradell, NJ - a borough in Bergen County, made the decision to buy a large Mohawk Lift runway vehicle lift instead of mobile lifts. Among the reasons for the purchase: the town is in a flood zone and the garage frequently floods during severe rains.

With the likelihood of Hurricane Sandy heading toward Oradell, the DPW garage personnel built a platform between the lift’s runway to be able to store tool boxes, shop equipment and other materials on the lift. Should the hurricane hit, they could raise the lift and hopefully keep the items dry.

The accompanying photo shows a dry run in preparation should the super storm hit the area - and it did.

Shop officials said if they had not stored the things on the runway lift, which rises to a height of 6 feet 3-1/2 inches measured from the top of the runway, the flooding of the shop would have ruined all its shop equipment, including a tire changer, balancer and Freon machine.

About the Author

David A. Kolman

Contributor - Fleet Maintenance

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