As the temperature dropped, work still had to be done across the metro area. Delivery drivers could be seen running from warm trucks to drop packages while plumbers and HVAC technicians tried to repair frozen water lines and overworked furnaces.
“We actually cleared our schedule so we could help as many people as we possibly could with no heat calls,” said Jeff Johnson an HVAC team lead at Brother’s Heating and Plumbing.
Johnson was lucky and got to manage 20 teams from the warmth of the company’s headquarters.
“Mostly no heat calls, flame sensor issues, heat not turning on. Obviously, in this type of weather, that’s when your furnace works the hardest, so this is when it’s going to go out. We have a few frozen pipes,” he said.
“It’s just weather in Colorado. It’s particularly cold but you’re going to get up earlier, you’re going to dress in another layer, that’s all it really is,” said Ashley Benedict an Amazon driving associate who was delivering packages Thursday afternoon in Villa Park. “Base layer wool and then you have a mid-layer fleece and then cotton and then a top shell layer for the wind.”
Benedict wasn’t even wearing a hat to cover his head and ears. The frequent warm relief of his delivery van helped with escaping the sub-zero temperatures.
“Honestly you’re moving so your expelling heat and it has to go somewhere so it keeps your head warm,” Benedict said. “Your van is going to stay pretty warm in the cabin and you have the heat going every single time you get in it.”
He still frequently got praise from residents when their packages arrived.
“You actually get quite a lot of ‘thank yous,’ quite a lot of treats, a lot of water and Gatorade and treats, especially here in Denver.”
And one more day of work before temps get back above freezing.
“Still supposed to be cold tomorrow, still supposed to be below zero, so yea, we’ll be busy,” Johnson said.
