Abbott | American Express | KPMG | Medco | National Gypsum

Pre-Positioning Product for Rapid Deployment

An established partnership with a relief organization can help a company get its products to where they are most needed

When Hurricane Rita hit Texas and Louisiana in September 2005, the country was still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina had demonstrated that the community was not adequately prepared for a disaster of such magnitude, and that early preparation to enable rapid relief was essential.

Anticipating similar devastation from Rita, Abbott, a pharmaceutical company, was determined to be ready to help. Abbott’s Emergency Coordination Team contacted its partner, Direct Relief International, to identify critical medicines and supplies that could be pre-positioned at the nonprofit organization’s headquarters in Santa Barbara, California. One day before Rita struck land, Abbott shipped hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of products, which Direct Relief quickly deployed to its partners in high-risk areas.

The strategic placement enabled Abbott and Direct Relief to provide medications based on local partners’ assessments and specific requests. Displaced patients in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas quickly received the medicines they needed and minimal product went to waste.

“The pre-positioning of vital medications and supplies prior to Rita proved invaluable,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief International. The successful operation led Abbott to employ similar tactics for Hurricanes Stan and Wilma, and the company is currently finalizing its hurricane protocol based on these events.

Contact:
info@respondtodisaster.org

Back to top

Relocating Employees After Disaster

Rapid coordination and constant communications across units can help companies quickly return to business

September 11th caused massive destruction to lower Manhattan and displaced thousands of employees in a matter of hours. American Express occupied a large portion of the World Financial Center and had over 4,000 employees without a place to work. This situation affected employees, organizational structure, and business operations.

Immediately, company leaders assembled a cross-functional team which included senior management, corporate security, technology, business continuity planning and real estate to determine how they could quickly and effectively relocate their employees. The real estate team immediately contacted real estate brokers, building managers, and other companies in the tri-state area to determine where there was available space. Key criteria in the search included access to public transportation, readiness to occupy, area amenities and flexible lease terms to allow for American Express’ continued operation until circumstances permitted them to return to Lower Manhattan.

American Express chose to move to multiple office buildings owned by different companies in Connecticut and New Jersey and signed leases of varying lengths. Once the leases were finalized, the space was fitted with proper technology, security and furniture for immediate occupancy.

Throughout this effort a separate team began working with insurance carriers to identify needs in order to continue operations through the disaster. Clients were notified of the relocation plans and Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, held a town hall meeting for all New York City employees to communicate the company’s plans, answer questions and praise them for their support.

After the town hall meeting, senior managers began communicating specific relocation plans and procedures to their teams. Seventeen days after the attacks, American Express occupied its new temporary facilities and 4,000 people went back to work.

“September 11th left everyone to scramble for alternative office space,” said a spokesperson for American Express. “It reinforced the need to have cross-functional teams and comprehensive systems established before a disaster in order to quickly and effectively respond.”

Nine months later, American Express was able to relocate all of its employees back to New York City. Having a plan in place helped American Express protect its operations, employees, and assets and mitigate the effects of the attacks.

Contact:
info@respondtodisaster.org

Back to top

Finding Innovative Ways to Account for Employees

When a disaster creates communication barriers, companies can use alternative methods of reaching employees

The wind and rain that accompanied Hurricane Katrina knocked most landlines and cellular towers out of commission in the affected areas. To ensure that its 100 New Orleans employees would be able to communicate with each other and their families, KPMG, an audit, tax, and advisory service, purchased new cell phones from an out-of-state area code immediately after the storm hit. Word spread about the new phones through text messaging and BlackBerry service, which generally continued to work even when phone lines went down, so that the company was able to distribute phones to each employee who needed one.

KPMG also immediately activated its national check-in system, developed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, through which employees could access regular company updates and leave messages about their whereabouts on a toll-free number. If the company does not hear from an employee who may have been affected by a disaster within 24 hours, it alerts local police that the employee may be missing.

“The national check-in system allows us to identify very quickly if all our people are OK,” notes Charlie Steadman, Principal, Firm Security Group, KPMG.

Disaster training sessions within the company now encourage employees to use alternative methods of communication, such as text messaging, BlackBerry, and Treos. Employees also are encouraged to list an out-of-state friend or relative as their emergency contact, in case of a widespread disaster like Katrina. Wallet cards and regular lunch-and-learns help reinforce these practices so employees are prepared for future events.

Contact:
info@respondtodisaster.org

Back to top

Bypassing Red Tape to Reach People in Need

Identifying local partners can help companies’ in-kind donations reach the right places

After learning that some supplies sent to Southeast Asia following the 2004 tsunami had initially gone unused, Medco, a pharmacy benefit manager, was determined to make sure its future disaster planning was more strategic. When Hurricane Katrina hit, prompting the evacuation of numerous pharmacies in the affected areas, the company acted quickly to mobilize staff and medical product while simultaneously reaching out to government organizations to assess specific needs.

With so much disarray among the relief organizations, however, Medco found it difficult to get the answers it needed. Undeterred, the company reached out to individual state boards of pharmacy to find out which hospitals were still operating and in need of medications. Medco also worked with its own pharmacy staff to research the major healthcare concerns associated with flooding so that the right medications could be provided.

Armed with this information, the company was able to set up a mobile pharmacy comprised of two trailers to dispense medications in the parking lot of a Marrero, Louisiana hospital. Pharmacists, security guards, and other volunteers worked 15-hour days to pick up medication, staff the trailers, and even cook food. The team also included engineers who were instrumental in assessing power needs, as well as local telecommunications companies that made it possible to access patients’ medical histories. In partnership with two other hospitals in Mississippi and Texas, Medco also dispatched volunteers and donated critically needed medications.

"We recognize that no person and no company can heal and rebuild by acting alone,” said Medco CEO Dave Snow. “So many local partners in the states affected by Katrina were instrumental in helping us set up and operate mobile pharmacies. The whole team worked tirelessly to provide medications and services to people in need during this unprecedented tragedy."

Contact:
info@respondtodisaster.org

Back to top

Constant Communication with Employees

Activating an around-the-clock hotline can help companies track employees and deliver important messages about the rebuilding process

A southern-based building products manufacturer with operations directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, National Gypsum was concerned for the welfare of its employees and their families when the devastation began. A pre-prepared crisis management plan was immediately implemented to evacuate its plant, and a 24-hour toll-free number was activated through which employees could hear facility updates and service information and speak to a live person to provide their whereabouts. The hotline also assured employees that the company would continue to pay their salaries despite plant closures.

The constant communication with plant employees throughout the disaster was critical in National Gypsum’s ability to reassemble its workforce and bring the plant back to operation in just three weeks. "The Katrina disaster defined our company in many respects," said CEO Thomas C. Nelson. "We often speak of the family spirit within our company. Katrina brought it to life. We were able to locate all our associates through the hotline and tell them they would have a place to stay and a job when we could open the plant.”

Another successful endeavor involved assembling a cross-functional disaster response team of Charlotte, North Carolina employees who drove RVs filled with supplies to the plant in Jefferson Parish, then left the vehicles behind for displaced plant employees to use as temporary housing. Additionally, established relationships with local officials allowed the plant to secure FEMA trailers. By calling the toll-free number, employees were able to learn about the availability of trailers and place requests.

Contact:
info@respondtodisaster.org

Back to top