Town of Blacksburg receives grant funds for snowplow simulator training

The Town of Blacksburg averages 24.7 inches of snowfall each year. With nearly 45,000 residents within the town’s 20 square mile area, clearing the roadways of snow and ice requires skilled drivers who have received significant training. The town uses simulator training, provided by Driver Training Solutions, to help develop its snowplow operators.

“It’s the wave of the future, doing it with a simulation,” said Safety Administrator Bill Brooks with the Town of Blacksburg. “And one of the really good parts about it is if the guys mess up or hit anything, it’s just a simulation. There’s no real cost, no damage.”

Training in the simulator is accompanied by instructor training and some hands-on training in the town’s actual snowplows. This year, the training was funded in part with the VRSA Risk Management Grant. Learn more in the video below.

Each year, the VRSA Members’ Supervisory Board allocates $400,000 for VRSA Risk Management Grant funds to help members prevent and reduce losses, and for scholarships to support continuing professional education. VRSA’s Risk Management Grant application cycle opens each year on August 1. For more information, contact your VRSA safety consultant at: 800-963-6800.