When a storm goes sideways, the post-mortem almost always points to the same window: the 72 hours before it arrived. Tanks that ran low, fill ports blocked by ice, monitoring alerts going to a phone nobody checked. The checklist below is built around that window. Run it once per forecast storm and the actual storm becomes a watch-and-respond situation rather than a scramble.
T-minus 72 hours (forecast clear enough to act)
Facility manager:
- Pull current fuel level on every tank (heating, generator, process)
- Check generator exercise log – when was the last exercise, when is the next scheduled?
- Verify emergency contact list is current
- Verify dispatch after-hours number is posted on-site
Maintenance / super:
- Walk all fill ports, confirm clear and accessible
- Confirm tank monitors are reporting (if installed)
- Verify generator starts and runs on a standard exercise
- Inspect day tank (for larger generators) transfer pump operation
Fuel supplier action:
- Call dispatch at (215) 659-1616 if any tank is under 60% and you want a pre-storm top-off
- Schedule proactive fills for buildings where a mid-storm runout would matter
T-minus 48 hours
- Pre-storm fills should be scheduled by now
- Confirm on-site access during the storm (who has keys, who covers after-hours)
- Verify no planned maintenance during the storm window
- For facilities with tenants or customers, review communication plan
T-minus 24 hours
- Final tank level check – note the number
- Verify monitoring alerts are routed to someone actively on-shift during the storm
- Clear snow removal plans for fill port access if storm is producing snow
- Brief on-call staff on escalation process
During the storm
- Monitor tank levels hourly on critical tanks
- Note start time if generator transfers to backup power
- If level drops faster than projected, call dispatch early – a 4-hour warning beats a 30-minute emergency call
- If access is compromised (downed tree, ice-blocked fill port), call dispatch before it becomes urgent
First 24 hours post-storm
- Schedule post-storm top-off on everything critical
- Document runtime on any generator that operated during the event
- Note any near-miss or actual runout – feed into next storm prep
- Confirm compliance documentation for any generator test during the event
When to call dispatch
Before the storm: Any critical tank below 60%, any planned fill in the next week (move it up), or any building with known access risks.
During the storm: Any critical tank below 40% with no fill scheduled, any access problem blocking a scheduled fill, or any generator failure or fuel quality concern.
Post-storm: Any tank that dropped below 40% during the storm, any facility where a generator ran extended runtime, or any facility where you ran close to empty.
Things that commonly get missed
Generator day tanks. Many people check the base tank and forget the day tank. During a long outage, day tank transfers can lag if the pump struggles.
Fill port access. Snow, ice, and downed branches can block access. Confirm the path.
After-hours contacts. Someone who was the contact last year may have left the job. Update the supplier.
Tank monitoring batteries. Some units have backup batteries that need periodic replacement. Winter is not the time to discover a dead battery.
Questions about fuel delivery for your facility?
Call (215) 659-1616 or get a quote online. Fox Fuel serves commercial accounts across Pennsylvania and New Jersey from our Willow Grove location – family-owned since 1981.