Being Prepared

[ATeam]

Expediting is all about being prepared. We keep our trucks in top runing condition and fuel tanks full so we'll be ready to pick up emergency freight on a moment's notice. We manage our sleep and time to mazimize our availability and long-distance capability. We maintain cash reserves to ride out the slow times. We carry HAZMAT emergency response guidebooks in our trucks. We have our permit books at the ready to demonstrate our legal compliance to any authority that asks. We (many of us) use computers and GPS mapping tools to back up and improve upon the directions carriers provide.

With Katrina on everyone's mind, it strikes me that many expediters can be better prepared for natural disasters than we now are. This is especially true if your carrier is one that typically is called upon to respond when a disaster hits.

I've been searching the Internet with little success, looking for some sort of volunteer aid worker guide book that talks about how to prepare for entry into and activities in a disaster area. Expediters are not considered disaster aid volunteers. We're paid to haul freight into an area and that's it. Nevertheless, going in means you will be exposed to many of the same stresses disaster aid workers and victims encounter. Being prepared for that would enable us to do a better job as expediters and take care of ourselves at the same time.

Several common sense items come to mind like bring extra drinking water in with you for your own needs, top off your fuel tanks before entering. Call "your people" ahead of time to let them know you may not be available by cell phone for a while as service may be down. BE prepared to go to the bathroom when bathrooms are not readily available. Take a first-aid class and carry a first aid kit so you and your codriver can help each other when a typical 911 response is likely to be delayed. Know how to not get in the way of others rushing to help in a chaotic situation. There are other items trained emergency responders know about but I don't.

I know numerous expediters have been in and out of Kartrina and other disaster areas before. Could you share your ideas that would help expeidters working in disaster areas? I know there are trained emergency responders that frequent the EO Open Forum. Your ideas would be appreicated too.

Perhaps we can pool the expertise of our Open Forum participants and produce a brochure or online article for expediters to refer to when they are dispatched on a disaster-aid load.

Phil Madsen, Senior Field Editor
Expediters Online

 

[Glen Rice]

Great observations on how unprepared our country was for the hurricane Katrina! Anyone who has ever worked with FEMA can tell the same stories of unbelievable waste and little if any direction to disperse those supplies that are so desperately needed. It is also a shame that the poor segment of our country looked so out of control on the news night after night. They couldn't have been in worse conditions with very little to look forward too. I want to thank all the expeditors that answered the call to go into that "Hell" of a situation. You are heros also! God bless you..

 

[greg334]

Another good post

As for volunteer training material, there is some stuff available from the Red Cross (you have to call them and ask) and several state organizations, I think Texas has one, but it has been a while since I needed anything like what you are looking for. You can also contact (don’t laugh) the UN and the Peace Corps. they both deal with international disasters and should have something like training manuals. Oh also try Doctors without Borders, they do have something but I don’t remember if it is a training manual or something general.

It depends on who you talk to about expediters being considered volunteers and part of the relief effort. I know that in some circles truckers are critical and considered as important as the people who are handing out supplies.

I have a couple suggestions;

Yes by all means take a first aid class, but one that is centered on more than CPR and basic bandaging. Learn how to use a tourniquet or immobilize a broken limb. If you can get it from the Red Cross, do it but if you are in the guard, reserves or regular military, they have good medic programs that are available and it will look good on your record.

More importantly get a good first aid kit, not an auto kit with a few bandages and tape. I saved my firs aid kits from my auto parts business that I kept in my warehouse, which is an industrial kit. I have not put fresh supplies in the one I have in the van but it is enough to get by for now. I have seen on the market surplus medic kits for a company (I have seen the Swedish platoon kits for $30 but I would get the larger one) around $100 which looks like it would be a good choice. Remember if you use your supplies during a disaster, you should have no problem getting replacements for the items you used from the Red Cross.

A few more suggestions;

Water is really important and if you know how to use purifier, get one and keep it in your truck. Even though you have drinking water, you do need clean water to wash yourself and your clothes. Sometimes there are things in the water that will get you sick just by contact.

Also about water, get those collapsible containers. They make a 40 gallon one that can be rolled up when not in use. Get bunch of 5 gallon ones too, they are always are handy.

About bathroom breaks, there are times where you will not have any choice except what a bear does. If you are not the type of person that likes to do that, buy a small unit or go to the Cabella’s website and look at what they have for a solution.

There is another thing I have mentioned before, communications. How many expediters are ham radio operators? Well this is something I push at companies I consulted for; get your people licensed so they can better work with authorities during an emergency.

There of course limitations with ham radio, but it is a start and easy to use. Also as I am thinking about it, how about getting a satellite phone to augment a cell phone. I know that many expediters are on thin margins but for those who can afford it, check it out.

One last thing, if you pursue contacting some agencies, ask the for contact information. See I know a few at these agencies who I can personally ask if they need me but I will not give their cell numbers to anyone so they can do their work.


Glen
You know that you can do everything to prepare for a disaster but there are too many variables involved to do things right and there are times where mistakes are made. When you are dealing with hundreds of miles of an area, it is almost impossible to coordinate everything as planned. You may plan on a 50 to 100 Sq mile disaster and test for one, but if you have the entire delta and half the gulf in a mess, your former plans are now just that, former plans.

I have to say one other thing, personally been in disasters, not just hurricanes but floods, famine and a few other things; I view the news media as one of the biggest problems in our country, especially with disasters. In this case they are so focused on only part of the population but failed to look at other parts of the area that are harder hit and still have little relief. They tell people off camera how bad it is and that they needs are ignored and then turn on the camera for the reaction. They want it to look chaotic and make it look like the US is falling apart for ratings and fulfill their agenda. I point to my comments on another thread about their ability to help but their refusal to do so.

 

[ATeam]

>There is another thing I have mentioned before,
>communications. How many expediters are ham radio operators?
>Well this is something I push at companies I consulted for;
>get your people licensed so they can better work with
>authorities during an emergency.

Greg, a/k/a KC8YHN,

I learned Morse code in the Army and have long intended to get a ham radio license. Diane's and my Katrina experiences prompted the decision for both of us to get licensed now and to outfit our truck for mobile operations. Our special interest within the hobby is emergency communications. We're aware of ARRL's resources (http://www.arrl.org/) and have ordered the study guide for the Technician license. We'd be very interested to hear your equipment suggestions for setting up a state-of-the-art mobile station in a generator-equipped straight truck.

 

[ATeam]

>Yes by all means take a first aid class, but one that is
>centered on more than CPR and basic bandaging. Learn how to
>use a tourniquet or immobilize a broken limb. If you can get
>it from the Red Cross, do it but if you are in the guard,
>reserves or regular military, they have good medic programs
>that are available and it will look good on your record.
>
>More importantly get a good first aid kit, not an auto kit
>with a few bandages and tape.

It strikes me that the reason why more truckers are not first-aid trained is it is very inconvenient to attend the courses. Few would want to take time on the road to find a class and attend. When drivers are at home, they are not likely to take a course. They are home for family and other important reasons. A possible solution is for EO to bring the Red Cross into a room at the next Expo to provide training there. Perhaps "expediter-grade" first aid kits could be offered for sale there too. Just an idea for Expo planners to consider.

 

[RichM]

A Team you indicated you had trucks (plural),how many were involved with the Katrina situation.?

 

[hdl]

You can get backpacking equipment lists from many places such as REI and Cabelas I believe. That list can be narrowed down to fit the specific needs of an expediter.

Used military manuals covering basic first aid can be picked up at gun shows and military surplus stores. First aid kits, both field type and larger can be purchased at gun shows.

Basic hand tools should be on hand. Also plastic sheeting and duck tape. Single burner stoves, propane or chemical. Neoprene or rubber gloves.
Face masks/filters can be purchased at Lowes and many auto parts stores.

Go http://www.google.com

Type in "backpack equipment list" OR
type in "disaster equipment list"

Plenty of info there.

 

[miko]

Good idea with the First Aid training at a Expo.
It should be offered not only on a wednesday or thurday, all days of the Expo. Hope somebody picks this idea up!

Miko

 

[Broompilot]

What was not mentined was the mental toll this has done. I was recently in Brownville TX, took a load to Ohio. Was instructed do not go anywhere near NOL. People are begging to be driven out and you cannot tell who is in need or who is gona knock you upside the head just for the diesel fuel.

You get the picture we are defenseless out there when we are out numbered.

Great time for truckers to be carrying items to defend ourselves as well as a first aid kit.

Was listening to a radio program that described how thugs were just walking into anywhere they wanted to take whatever. Unless the occupants showed they could defend there homes or nieghbors or nieghborhoods. Cowards ran.

 

[Dreamer]

>A Team you indicated you had trucks (plural),how many were
>involved with the Katrina situation.?

Rich,

If you re-read that paragraph, I beleive he was possibly speaking of Expediters in general, not himself. At least, that's the way I took it!

Quote "
Expediting is all about being prepared. We keep our trucks in top runing condition and fuel tanks full so we'll be ready to pick up emergency freight on a moment's notice. We manage our sleep and time to mazimize our availability and long-distance capability. We maintain cash reserves to ride out the slow times. We carry HAZMAT emergency response guidebooks in our trucks. We have our permit books at the ready to demonstrate our legal compliance to any authority that asks. We (many of us) use computers and GPS mapping tools to back up and improve upon the directions carriers provide."



Dreamer
Forums Administrator
Expediters Online

 

[greg334]

>What was not mentined was the mental toll this has done. I
>was recently in Brownville TX, took a load to Ohio. Was
>instructed do not go anywhere near NOL. People are begging
>to be driven out and you cannot tell who is in need or who
>is gona knock you upside the head just for the diesel fuel.
>
>You get the picture we are defenseless out there when we are
>out numbered.
>
>Great time for truckers to be carrying items to defend
>ourselves as well as a first aid kit.
>
>Was listening to a radio program that described how thugs
>were just walking into anywhere they wanted to take
>whatever. Unless the occupants showed they could defend
>there homes or nieghbors or nieghborhoods. Cowards ran.

Actually Dreamer I started a thread thanking the volunteers and about the mental impact of working in a disaster zone, but I think it got deleted. Oh well.