Winter has hit the Inland Northwest, bringing frigid temperatures, snow, and icy driving and walking conditions on campus at SFCC.
Maintenance crews on campus work diligently to keep sidewalks and parking lots cleared of snow, and act quickly to maintain conditions here at the Falls to keep students and faculty safe while walking and driving on campus.
“Campus Security alerts our crew once snowfall has reached a depth of about one and a half inches,” said Jeff Tiel, Director of Facility Operations here at SFCC. ”Depending on the storm, how hard it’s snowing, and the time of day the storm blows through, we start our clearing procedures with a focus on inner campus snow removal,”
“We have a crew of six maintenance workers who work 10-hour rotating shifts, mostly overnight, to make sure snow and ice are cleaned up as much as possible prior to first classes starting. We’re are also responsible for maintaining the lodge (Building 9) and other local businesses as well as SFCC,” Tiel said
Despite maintenance efforts at clearing snow and ice from walkways and parking lots, slick spots can still be found throughout campus. If a student slips and falls on an icy area in the parking lot or on a sidewalk, what should they do?
Scott Jones, a Safety Professional at SFCC, said, “Students need to alert the Facilities Department or Campus Security if they see icy or slick spots on campus, and we will take the appropriate action right away.”
Students are encouraged to alert faculty members if they see potentially dangerous areas in the parking lots or sidewalks that could cause a fall resulting in injury. Faculty is trained to call the Facilities Department in the event that inclimate weather causes dangerous conditions. Students can also call the Facilities Department themselves, if they’re concerned about an icy spot on campus.
“We never want to see a student or faculty member injured from a fall, so we do everything we can to prevent this from happening,” said Jones. “If a fall does happen, even if it doesn’t result in an injury, we want to know about it right away so we can address the problem and resolve it quickly.”
Students who are involved in any kind of accident on campus are encouraged to notify Campus Security, and fill out an accident report within 24 hours of the accident. If there are witnesses to the accident, their information should be included in the report.
“Often times after a slip & fall, a student may not realize they’re injured until a couple of days later, so it’s important we know about the accident right away so that we have a detailed record of the injury and any witnesses,” Jones said. “Campus Security will close off the area and take pictures to document where the fall took place and the conditions of the area. They will then alert the Facilities Department to address the area as soon as possible in order to prevent any other injuries.”
If a student is injured and has filed the appropriate accident reports to document their claim, they can also file a tort claim with the District Business Office which is then sent to the state administration for further review in order to determine whether or not the school has been negligent based on the evidence in the complaint.
“We certainly do our best to make sure that injuries don’t happen, but every student has the right to file a tort claim if the need should arise,” Jones said. “One of the biggest things students can do to prevent slip and fall injuries is to invest in good shoes with appropriate tread, and to be aware of the types of surfaces they’re walking on.”
Since slick areas can be a problem regardless of footwear, the Facilities Department encourages students and faculty to communicate if they see areas that might be icier than others or could potentially cause damage to vehicles or pedestrians.
“We never like to see accidents happen, and the crew works hard to prevent them. If you see a slick area definitely let us know; we will take care of it,” Tiel said.

Emily Norton