Cary Solid Waste Dept Volunteers to Assist Clean-Up in Fayetteville

Cary, NC – Last weekend, after hearing about a trash emergency in Fayetteville, a team of Cary solid waste employees volunteered to travel down to help out.

Intense heat last week took 60 percent of Fayetteville’s garbage trucks out of commission. Walter Stroud, operations specialist with Cary’s Public Works Department, saw the news and passed it onto Public Works Director Scott Hecht.

“He said, ‘Hey, do you think we should offer a hand to help out?'” Hecht said. “[Town Manager] Sean called their town manager and it got set up. They were so receptive and appreciative.”

Seven Town of Cary garbage trucks, along with seven employees, drove to Fayetteville on Saturday morning, July 27, 2019. Because of logistics, only two of those trucks were able to assist.

“The two that stayed worked all day, putting in 12 hours,” Hecht said. “When it was all done, we said, ‘If you need us again, let us know.'”

The hot weather did not cause the Fayetteville trucks’ engines to overheat. Instead, Assistant City Manager Krisstoff Bauer said it resulted in hydraulics swelling, seals breaking, air leaking and even some windshields cracking.

“The heat places a lot of pressure, and those trucks work hard,” Hecht said, adding that this problem has not affected Cary garbage trucks before.

Cary has mutual aid agreements with municipalities all over the state and, in addition to sending fire trucks during emergencies, garbage trucks have been sent to collect debris after storms.

Story by Michael Papich. Photos courtesy of the Town of Cary.