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ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Page 16 Tips for Effective Operations around Natural Disasters…continued from page 11 "With such a large area of destruction, the power company moved fast, and our equipment always had to be ready for them." One important logistical item that Jason pointed out "is that only certain areas are damaged in tornadoes. So, as opposed to significant fuel, food, water access, and other concerns with hurricanes, tornadoes cut paths so that areas on either side of the destruction can be undamaged and operating at close to normal levels." Nancy Gump—Andy Gump Company—Multiple Disaster Types and Preparation of Your Own Company's Facilities The Andy Gump Company not only has a proud and successful history in our industry, but this company has always been eager to share their knowledge and experiences with fellow PSAI Members. This topic was no exception. Nancy Gump's thoughts and ideas on dealing with natural disasters—both in the field as well as within the company—provide an excellent synopsis of this important subject. An earthquake in 1994 provided the impetus for the Andy Gump Company to establish and to implement prudent and effective procedures in handling future natural disasters. Nancy explains, "After an earthquake in Santa Clarita in 1994, my dad and I drove to our shop not sure about what might be left standing. We were followed into our area by city officials and sheriffs eager to find out what we could do to help the community and how quickly." She continues, "We didn't have power at our facility, and we didn't know about water. After that, I did not see my dad for three weeks as he was out every day delivering and servicing." After the effects of this disaster began to subside, as with any good team, the Gumps analyzed their response to this massive earthquake. According to Nancy, "We learned that we were not prepared at all. We did not have units prepped and ready to go, we didn't have all of the trucks full with fuel, and we didn't have a plan to communicate with our teams or have a way for them to check in with us." As a result of this analysis, Nancy shared the current Andy Gump plan for natural disasters: Preparing and Operations • Always have trucks filled up with fuel at the end of the day because oftentimes in emergencies, electricity is out, and gas pumps will not function. • Make sure that you have a designated area for prepped toilets that are 100 percent ready to go. • Have delivery trailers loaded with some of these prepped units so that once a call comes in, a quick response can begin. • Assign a lead manager so that all operations team members have a person with whom to routinely check in. Continued on page 17