KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville city leaders met with the media Tuesday morning after the region was hit with multiple inches of snow on Monday.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, Knoxville Fire Department Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks, Knoxville Police Department Communications Manager Scott Erland and Knoxville Public Service Director Chad Weth spoke about road conditions and how officials are working to make sure everyone stays warm and safe.
Kincannon said that the city is encouraging everyone to stay inside as much as possible and off the roads. She said that 24 public service trucks have been working non-stop since Sunday and that calcium is being added to the road salt today to try and melt some snow before frigid temperatures hit the region Tuesday night.
"This kind of cold that's coming [Tuesday night] is life-threatening," Kincannon said.
The mayor said she expects plows and salt treatments to get to Level I and Level II roads on Tuesday. Weth said the plows will make it to Level III roads by this afternoon and evening.
123 people used warming shelters Monday night, according to Kincannon. She said volunteers are needed at the shelters— specifically at Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church.
There is not an official time or day when the warming shelters will close. Kincannon said the centers will stay open as long as the frigid temperatures remain.
Erland said that KPD is "all hands on deck" in regards to staffing. The department has been operating on its snow plan since Monday morning.
As of 6 a.m. Monday, there were at least 161 calls for disabled cars and 65 calls for crashes, according to KPD. There was a fatal wreck on I-75 Monday night.
RELATED: KPD: Driver of box truck dead after rear-ending tractor-trailer on I-75 North near Callahan Drive
Wilbanks encouraged those who might have vehicles stuck on the side of the road to move them when it is safe or to call a towing company to come out and get the cars. He said that cars sitting on the side of the road can cause traffic issues.
Erland asked the public not to get too confident too quickly in regards to driving, even if the roads look fine.
"We really believe that ice and black ice is going to be a persistent issue over the next couple of days," Erland said.
As temperatures drop into the single digits Tuesday night, Wilbanks said one of KFD's biggest fears right now is a structure fire.
"Getting apparatus to a structure fire would be extremely difficult for us. That is not an easy task," Wilbanks said.
The assistant fire chief stressed heating safety.
"People are probably going to break out some extra space heaters, right? So, good placement of your space heaters, no extension cords, no candles—things like that," Wilbanks said. "Good fireplace safety, making sure that you're using good hardwood and that you're using your screens and all of that kind of stuff on your fireplaces. And lastly, when you use your fireplace, carbon monoxide safety is very important. Make sure that your home has good ventilation because you're going to want to button it up as tight as possible."
You can watch the full press conference below.