September 6, 2005 — In order to more effectively deploy equipment and supplies following the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina, United Rentals, Inc., Greenwich, Conn., has established a 24-hour emergency response center. Telephone calls to United Rentals branches in the affected areas are automatically rerouted to the center, which also accepts direct, toll-free calls.
The bilingual emergency response team, based at the company's Shelton, Conn., customer service facility, was fully activated within 24 hours of the hurricane's first hit in the Gulf Region, said Ernie Delle Donne, vice president•national accounts and government sales for United Rentals. Employees from branches as far away as Chicago and Toronto have arrived in Shelton to staff the telephones and arrange the distribution of disaster recovery equipment and contractor supplies. In the first 48 hours of the hurricane's aftermath, the center fielded more than 1,100 calls directly related to Katrina, Donne said.
"There's a lot we can do as a company to help with the logistics of the relief and recovery efforts," Donne said. "Right now, our priority is to respond to every need as completely and rapidly as possible. Our branch teams are working around the clock to fulfill requests from FEMA, municipal, state and federal response crews, utilities and private citizens. We have a tremendous support network among our branches. Locations that are in and near Katrina's path, but were spared a direct hit, are sending equipment, supplies and manpower to the branches most affected."
United Rentals has more than 730 rental locations throughout North America, including eleven branches in Alabama, four in Mississippi, and eight in Louisiana. The company's regional contractor supplies distribution center in Atlanta, Georgia, will also aid in the deployment efforts.
