Preparing sites for burials is a challenge this time of year. With the snow and thick frost layer, it adds extra steps and time to the process. The first step is to locate the grave site itself. This requires the staff to remove snow from the immediate area. This gives the crew room to get the equipment in, but also gives the Funeral Director room to host the graveside ceremonies. Once the snow is removed and the corner markers are located, crews have used a jackhammer with a frost bit on a mini excavator and, or a frost burner to penetrate through the frost layer. This process could add up to 3 or 4 hours to the normal routine of digging a grave. On average between the two city-owned cemeteries, there is about one burial every two days.
