Wake EMS, independent plowers prepare to hit snowy roads

But if roads get particularly bad, it could take crews longer to get to emergencies.

“As it gets busier, it can be a weight on the system, but we are going to keep coming, no doubt about it,” said Jeff Hammerstein, assistant chief of community outreach at Wake EMS.

Members of the public can help by staying home, Hammerstein said.

The more people that are on the roads, “the more we have to work through and work around and get by in order to get places,” he said.

Schools closed, crews working to restore power as cold temps remain after snow

Mario Sanchez, owner of Real Lawn Care in Durham, said the company already had crews out Thursday afternoon to spread salt in parking lots and anywhere else customers need it.

After the snow falls, they will plow it away.

The deeper it is, the more money they make.

“I know WRAL is mentioning possibly more accumulation than we expected,” Sanchez said. “That would be even better.”

Real Lawn Care and other companies can be reached on an app called Plowz and Mowz to serve people at their own homes.

It works kind of like Uber. If you need your driveway clear, you can request help from someone like Sanchez through the app.

“Depending on where the customer is, we could be out there in an hour, hour and a half, two hours,” Sanchez said.