On the latest episode of ¡Prepárate!, NYC Emergency Management's Spanish podcast, co-hosts Inés Bebea and Yokarina Duarte spoke with New York City Department of Sanitation Press Secretary Vincent Gragnani, on the department's winter weather operations, the impacts of snow removal on garbage and recycling pickup, and how composting helps New York City lessen its carbon footprint on the planet. Gragnani also discussed the challenges of snow removal as more structures are added to the City's landscape such as bike lanes, bus lanes and permanent outdoor dining structures from restaurants.

"The workers who clear snow from our streets are the same workers who pick up our trash and recycling, and most of the plows we use are on the same trucks that pick-up trash and recycling. It takes time to attach and remove plows from these trucks. So, depending on the amount of snow we receive, we often have service delays," said NYC Department of Sanitation Press Secretary Vincent Gragnani. "We ask New Yorkers to tune into social media for updates on collections schedules during and after snowfalls, and we ask for their patience as well as we work to clear snow and remove trash."

New Yorkers can track the progress of salt spreaders and plow vehicles by visiting PlowNYC, and are encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City's free emergency notification system to receive alerts on winter weather and its impacts. Sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency alerts and updates in your preferred language by visiting NYC.gov/notifynyc, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC/@NNYCSpanish on Twitter, or getting the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device.

In addition to Notify NYC, New Yorkers can learn more information about how severe weather emergencies are affecting New York City and how the City's response to winter storms and other severe weather events by visiting the NYC Severe Weather website at NYC.gov/severeweather.

You can listen to ¡Prepárate! on SoundCloud or Spreaker.

Vincent Gragnani serves as press secretary for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Gragnani works with the department's bureau of public affairs to communicate the critical work of nearly 10,000 Sanitation employees in keeping New York City clean and safe, removing 12,000 tons of residential trash and recycling every day. Born in Chicago and raised in San Diego, Gragnani has called Staten Island home for more than 16 years. He has worked in several media and government roles, including as communications director for New York City Council Member Debi Rose. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in liberal studies, with a concentration in social and environmental justice from City University of New York Graduate Center.