Denver International Airport provides behind-the-scenes look at fleet equipment used to clear snow

The snow may not be coming down just yet, but crews at the Denver International Airport are always preparing for winter weather.

CBS Colorado got a behind-the-scenes view of how they manage their fleets to keep the airplane runways and Peña Boulevard clear of snow. Maintenance crews say regardless of the weather, they train all year to prepare themselves for any snow events.

Maintenance crews have 257 pieces of equipment that are dedicated to just clearing and cleaning up snow. Crews say they just finished their training over the summer, using it to learn seven different pieces of their equipment.

There are more than 350 employees focused on clearing snow. Each piece of equipment that is used gets torn down and checked fully before they put it out on the road for operation. The equipment is used for 15 minutes per runway, and they have six runways.

"We are consistently training to keep everyone up to speed." Richard Brennan, Director of Field Maintenance at the airport. 

Along with cleanup, they said they can use sand, but they rarely use it because they don't want to use anything that an airplane can blow away easily. Instead, crews focus on using more of a chemical liquid that also makes it break down the snow easier.

Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service Gregory Heavener says they usually see the first snowstorm start between Oct. 17 and Halloween. Maintenance crews say they are prepared for snow events and once the first one comes in, they have an idea of what to expect and do. 

Director of Fleet Maintenance Steve Ricci says larger trucks can handle a lot more snow. Ricci said they launched a renewal diesel plan recently to make their equipment have about 25% cleaner emissions.