Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1418957
PSAI Association Insight, October 13, 2021 I 17 (continued on page 18) Just like increases in business due to COVID-19, disasters will add significant new revenue and profit. Often the rates are all inclusive of delivery, pick up, rental, and daily service with a one- to two-week minimum. The more severe the storm, the more each community will need to rely on PROs from many states away. Over time, the PROs that respond and provide excellent service are the ones restoration and man camp companies call and rely on. Many of these proven PROs often need assistance as well. For Katrina in 2005, Mr. John already had the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster under their belt. We had also deployed 900 units to three different camps for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Walk (first PRO to offer all 900) for the Thursday to Sunday walk from Bear Mountain, New York, to Manhattan. On Sept. 11, the planes hit the towers and the Office of Emergency Management put out a request for 1,000 toilets immediately. Mr. John deployed 750 to lower Manhattan and all went on daily service for months and months. The food tent alone ended up having six restroom trailers inside it to support a 24/7 feeding operation for all responders. Had Mitch Weiner and his partners Gary Weiner and David Dam not decided to have 1,000 units in "the float" for expanding branch locations and more, we would not have secured the three- day walk. We were the only PRO able to respond as requested — thus we achieved unparalleled success by being able and ready. The WTC is an extreme example; however, we quickly learned that having a couple spare trucks in all four branch locations enabled us to divert four of them to daily services. When Katrina landed in August 2005, Mr. John was up to six branches and yes, we had spare trucks ready to roll. We were Responding to a Disaster (continued from page 15) one of three PROs responding, sending two per branch for a total of twelve. As the lead Business Development person for Mr. John and Russell Reid, I travelled to Biloxi and New Orleans. Putting "boots on the ground" enabled many more opportunities. We brought three 5,000-gal. vacuum straight trucks for bulk wastewater hauling in flooded New Orleans. Two of our eight Jet-Vacs came down and partici- pated in storm sewer cleaning, where over 40 Jet-Vacs were hired to clean debris. More recently, in response to Ida in Louisiana, Shawn Petro (owner of Petro's Elite Sanitation Septic Pumping & Portable Toilets, Gulfport, Mississippi) had recently purchased a 3,000-gal. vacuum truck. He has been performing daily pump-out service for holding tanks and restroom and shower trailers. Sure, he has worked long hours and slept in a camper, but he has also discovered that is possible to stretch your team to get the regular work done and also be a part of many PROs stepping up to bring essential sanitation services to the community. Revenue and income are also nicely increased! At Mr. John, we had also adopted the concept of hiring dedicated Project Managers (PMs) in our Playbook for Special Events, QA/QC inspections and ongoing route driver training. Roy Baring, owner of Tex-San Site Services, will soon talk with Pete on the Get Flushed podcast about this Project Manager concept he and I discussed last year. His day-to-day business is booming in San Antonio, Texas, and he has never responded to a natural disaster — yet. However, the PM position has transformed his regular business in a way that will prepare him to send a PM to a disaster camp in the future. Success is also layered over time. Each PRO that responds to a disaster learns many lessons if they remain open, curious, and inquisitive — and watch the game film of how they performed. Every PRO I have encountered wants to improve their playbook for running their business. Your systems, procedures, and processes are what ensure quality and efficiency day to day in your business. Deciding to expand your equipment float for regular growth, having a few spare trucks, a Project Manager and Drivers in training will all enable you and your team to stretch. Finding Balance in Response Regular customers still need service when a disaster strikes. Whether you're a PRO business "in theater" or you decide to travel to participate, all weekly routes, deliveries, and pick- ups still need to happen. Each PRO will vary, yet it is possible to add tremendous amounts of new business while also completing the workload. Networking and collaborating are essential. As PROs respond, their ability to deliver on promises will expand their network for the next disaster. To find balance, many PROs assign a small team of staff to take the lead in receiving requests for service. This small group, with a single person at the lead, receives all requests and sets all expectations for the