Winch-out and recovery in Chicago. Ask whether the assigned operator has a winch.

A standard winch-out is quoted before dispatch. A simple pull off a soft shoulder is still a quoted job, not a published range. A vehicle stalled deep at a low-water crossing, a steep gravel-road embankment, or an over-the-edge pull needs more rigging and time, so those are quoted before anyone is dispatched once the operator has the details.

Do not try to restart the engine if water reached the intake, because cranking a flooded engine causes catastrophic damage. Turn on your hazards, get to safe, dry ground if you can do so without wading through moving water, and wait. If the water is still rising, get yourself clear first and tell us when you call.

Ask whether the assigned operator can recover the vehicle you have, from a front-wheel-drive sedan to a lifted truck. The winch does the work, not the vehicle's drivetrain, so it doesn't matter whether you have 2WD or 4WD. Ask them to use proper recovery points and traction mats, and to explain the pull before they start.

It affects everything. O'Hare averages 38.4 inches of snow a year, and the city bans parking on 107 miles of arterial street from 3am to 7am between December 1 and April 1 whether or not snow is present, plus a separate ban on another 500 miles of main street that activates once two inches are on the ground. Both bans exist because of the 1967 and 1979 storms that brought the city to a standstill. When a storm like that hits, winch-out calls spike right alongside jump starts and flat tires. Operators who take those jobs stay on the road through it.

The assigned operator doesn't yank a strap off a bumper bracket or a tie-down loop. They use rated recovery points, snatch blocks to change the angle on steep pulls, and steady controlled winch tension. The operator walks the vehicle and explains the plan before any line goes taut.