Winter viability plan: Côte-d’Or agents equipped with connected watches

The Côte-d'Or department is preparing for winter. Snow is forecast this week and in the shadows, nearly 187 agents are preparing to intervene to salt and clear the roads. The winter viability plan was presented Monday, November 18 by François Sauvadet, president of the departmental council, a plan in place until March 17, 2025.

145 intervention vehicles mobilized, 6,000 tonnes of salt planned

Last season, 2,000 tonnes of salt were spread on departmental roads, or over 5,710 kilometers. However, the department has 6,000 tonnes of salt this year “to make sure you are well prepared”specifies François Sauvadet. 145 intervention vehicles are mobilized as well as 187 agents, the majority of whom are departmental agents as well as agents from private companies. “We also called on farmers, as part of an agreement with the Chamber of Agriculture.”

Connected watches for agents and sensors on vehicles

The winter service plan includes two new features this year. Around a hundred agents are now equipped with connected watches, which detect arm movements. “When we see that for more than three minutes there is no more arm movement, an alert is sent to the on-call managers and the operational center. They can then contact the agent to check that everything is okay. In case of difficulty, they can also activate their watch themselves.”

“Our priority is safety, adds François Sauvadet. The safety of road users but also of our agents. When I see some who continue to try to overtake the truck that is clearing snow… it's not possible. Everyone must be respectful of our agents.”

The second new feature concerns intervention vehicles. This year, they are all equipped with a thermal sensor which allows detect the exact temperature of the road surface. “This allows us not to salt unnecessarily,” specifies Etienne Bonnevie, head of the public works department at the department.