Access America Transport and Disaster Preparedness

Access America Transport develops a war room mentality and segregates the disaster operations center apart from our daily operations.We develop contingency plans specific to the customers we service. These plans allow us to coordinate response efforts needed for FEMA, State/Federal agencies, and government contractors.

Below are bullet points to a successful emergency program.

Asset Allocation:
Access America develops relationships with Regional and Long haul trucking companies that will be able to pool trucks to specific regional locations on our command.
Separate contractual agreements are needed to ensure our forecasted capacity is there when and where we anticipate it to be needed.

Response:
Access America responds quickly and effectively to all types of emergencies. We operate from a response center at our corporate office in addition to remote locations across the United States. We are able to staff personnel on site as needed by our customers.
This structure allows us to respond to any disaster and allows Access America the ability to coordinate relief efforts with multiple agencies and jurisdictions.

Communications:
We have a Special 800# set up for emergency operations, an emergency email address that goes to the entire team so that shift workers and everyone involved are all on the same page. Cell phones are on 24/7. We have real time information from radio and TV news sources in our operation center for additional updates.
Poor communication in a disaster environment will quickly deteriorate your operational effectiveness.

Program Director:
An individual per shift is designated as the program director. There is an increase in activity and demand. A team leader is needed to bring everyone together and manage the process so that every task order is completed correctly and efficiently.
 The worst thing that can happen in a disaster environment is that everyone is focused on everyone else’s job and not focused on the job they are assigned to do.

Practice in the offseason:
We don’t expect that everything will be up and running as soon as we turn on our PCs on in an emergency. Access America Transport coordinates force tests for emergency plans, procedures, and skills in response to an actual emergency. We call on our trucking companies to get a snapshot of where all their assets are in the country. This proactive approach allows us to see where our strengths and weaknesses are before they happen.
This effort is coordinated not only internally but also with external service providers.

You never know what major disaster maybe threatening the country. It’s best to have a range of different skills and assets to cover your needs. While the key to a successful emergency program is preparedness, you must also have a staff that can empathize with the people they are helping.