From the Commander
Warfighter Support
Because DLA and tenant activities located on Defense Supply Center Richmond perform critical support functions for our military forces, some portions of the installation must remain open at all times regardless of weather conditions. Procedures are in place to ensure the safety of all employees and the continuous operation of critical functions during hazardous weather conditions.
Mission Essential Operations
Senior leaders from the various DLA and tenant activities on the installation will identify essential operations that must remain open. Government personnel and contractors responsible for those tasks will be designated as emergency and/or mission essential personnel and must report for duty as scheduled. During hazardous weather, designated personnel already on duty may be required to stay beyond regular hours until relieved
Closures, Delayed Openings
Extremely hazardous weather may necessitate closing the installation and granting administrative leave to employees. During less severe weather conditions, however, we will remain open and maintain a liberal annual leave policy. Any decision to close will be made by the DLA Aviation commander; all tenant organizations have agreed to abide by this decision.
Closure Decision Timeline
The decision-making process for determining whether to close or delay opening the installation takes several factors into consideration, including current road conditions on and off the installation, availability of parking, ease of access onto the installation and into facilities, and the continued weather forecast.
When reliable information is available to make an early decision the preceding night, it will be made and posted at that time. However, due to typical weather patterns in Central Virginia, the worst weather conditions generally occur between 4-6 a.m.
While this sometimes requires late decision-making to ensure the safety of all during times when weather conditions deteriorate, decisions are rarely made past 4 a.m., allowing sufficient time to notify employees before 6 a.m., the earliest official start time.
Information Resources
Employees have several options when it comes to getting information about delayed openings or closures due to inclement weather:
- Call the Information Hotline for a recorded message on current operations: 804-279-3599.
- Richmond area television stations (WTVR 6, WRIC 8 and WWBT 12) will run on-air and online announcements on post status.
- The DLA Aviation home page will display prominent alert messages during hazardous weather and other emergencies.
- After self-registering in the AtHoc notification system, employees will receive emails and phone calls at work and/or at home during emergencies or changes to installation operational status.
While at Work
If the post closes during the workday, information will be posted on a systems broadcast message that will be sent to all e-mail accounts. Announcements will be also be made over the public address system. As always, employees are encouraged to contact their supervisors if they have questions.
The Bottom Line
Employees who do not feel safe driving during hazardous weather should make a rational decision about whether to come to work or use accrued leave or credit hours.