The Vocabulary of Disasters

Tracy Bennett

April 4, 2006 — Recovery. Reconstruction. Relocation. Responsiveness. This is the vocabulary that permeates much of the news about the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina. Closely tied to the actions behind these words are the construction and equipment rental industries.

 

Massive recovery work is still being completed, even before reconstruction can get fully underway. Relocation of large populations has left a labor vacuum for contractors. Decisions about how to remake the infrastructure is delayed while government evaluates the best way to proceed. And as we head into a new hurricane season • which officially begins June 1 for the Atlantic • readiness and responsiveness in preparation for an uncertain future is top of mind.

 

According to a recent CNN report, more than 94,000 trailers are currently housing families, who would need to be evacuated in even a Category 1 hurricane. More than 35,000 of these temporary housing units were delivered and readied for occupancy by Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), Frederick, Md. The effort by BNI, under contract to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), set a record for speed in housing people after a U.S. disaster, say federal and state officials.

 

“We are pleased to have helped FEMA house so many Mississippians,” said Paul Divjak, BNI's program manager. “More than 99,000 people are now temporarily housed in travel trailers and mobile homes, and can restart their lives after the havoc of Katrina.”

 

As FEMA considers emergency planning for the immediate hurricane season, the Houston Chronicle reported that “the region has glaring problems that could make disaster planning much harder. Many bridges, in some cases the only evacuation routes, are still under repair or out of service. Basic services such as hospitals, banks, nursing homes and local governments have been badly damaged and are struggling to stay open.”

 

It's a fact that reconstruction takes time, even when it's on a fast track. This month Crane Hot Line includes a feature article on construction of a new bridge over the Escambia Bay in Pensacola, Fla. Scheduled to be completed in November 2007, the 29-month-long job came after Hurricane Ivan damaged the original bridge in 2004. That puts a little perspective on projects underway only since Katrina.

 

Compounding the problem is a lack of workers. “There is still a huge demand for construction workers,” says Barbara Estes, director of Associated Builders & Contractors in Mobile, Ala. Her office receives calls on a daily basis from companies looking for workers.

 

“We had a call from a company in Canada that is willing to pay to relocate its workers here,” Estes said. “Their economy is not nearly as strong, and they have brick masons and electricians. We told them to come on down.”

 

Yet, safety remains a top priority, which is why OSHA held a free construction safety training conference last month in Mobile.

 

“We're in a rebuilding phase, and contractors are coming in from outside our area,” said Ken Atha, OSHA's area director for 37 counties in Alabama. “We want to make sure they know the safety and health rules.”

 

Meanwhile, United Rentals, Inc., Greenwich, Conn., recently released the first in a series of white papers on issues of importance to the construction and rental industries and their customers.

 

“Natural and Man-made Disasters - The Role of the Rental Industry” focuses on business continuity and emergency planning for natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other severe business disruptions. The white paper defines the rental industry's role in responding to these events, and suggests ways to partner with customers in preparedness.

 

Michael Kneeland, executive vice president-operations for United Rentals, said, “As the largest equipment rental company in the world, United Rentals has a responsibility to help drive improvements in the ways that equipment and supplies are deployed to customers by our industry. Our research has defined a five-part hierarchy of needs: worker protection; traffic control and transport; relief and rescue; capital equipment; and information. Each area can be improved by employing best practices.”

 

Without the efforts of contractors and rental companies, both corporately and individually, recovery, reconstruction, relocation, and responsiveness would be just words.