The South Carolina Department of Transportation recently released a video that provides a “day in the life” look at its maintenance operations and the important role those operations play in keeping the state’s transportation system up and running.
[Above image by SCDOT]
The video is narrated by SCDOT Operations Engineer Andy Rowe – based out of the agency’s Richland County Office – who details his daily work routine and talks about the critical “first responder” style role played by SCDOT operations teams during natural disasters and the like.
He also discusses the importance of teamwork in terms of helping state departments of transportation fulfilling both the emergency response as well as routine public service work required to keep South Carolina’s mobility networks functioning.
An eight-year veteran of the South Carolina National Guard, Rowe noted in the video that it is vital “to challenge yourself every day” when working for a state DOT. “You have to get out and push yourself to your limits in order to learn more,” he explained. “The military taught me to be self-sufficient but also how teamwork is most important. If you work as one, there is nothing you can’t accomplish as a team.”
Rowe pointed out that the role of state DOTs as first responders is extremely critical. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that the entire state DOT is basically a first responder for winter storms, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes,” he said.
“When the public takes shelter, we are out in the storm working – we are the ones clearing the trees and removing the debris,” Rowe pointed out. “State DOT employees are leaving their families to make sure, when everyone else wakes up in the morning, they have a safe road to travel.”
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