Supporting FEMA Disaster Relief (Part 1)

Client Profile

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was formally established in 1979 to support American citizens and first responders in their efforts to develop capabilities that help protect against, respond to, and recover from disasters.

As a FEMA affiliate, KCH Transportation has a specialized FEMA disaster relief team of veteran transportation brokers specializing in quick problem-solving. We understand that service failures are unacceptable when it comes to FEMA. That’s why the agency regularly calls on us for professional, fast, white-glove service at a moment’s notice.

Client Need

MISSION 1: TRAILER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

FEMA required repairs to damaged trailers that had been arriving at their Selma, Alabama location. Repairs needed for these vehicles were to the electrical systems, the overall structure, and the tires.

This situation posed serious concerns for the organization, as these trailers were currently involved in delivering much-needed emergency supplies to hurricane-affected areas off the gulf coast. Lives were literally hanging in the balance. There was no time to waste to get the FEMA trailers service-ready and back on the road.

On a Saturday morning, FEMA representatives got in touch with KCH Transportation for a solution, and we jumped at the chance to help.

Approach/Solution

The KCH FEMA team, headed up by our Strategic Accounts Development / Government Accounts Manager Josh Coulter, quickly got to work to develop a creative, out-of-the-box solution.

Josh and his team worked around the clock to make sure that repairs started as soon as possible. Within 12 hours of the initial call, the team had developed a customized Mobile Trailer Maintenance Program.

At the heart of the program was setting up a mobile trailer repair team to identify the repairs needed and allocate the necessary resources to fix them. KCH brought three different companies on board – one each to perform structural, electrical, and tire repairs.

Each company quickly deployed the required workforce and resources to the FEMA site. The repair teams worked on the trailers 24 hours per day, seven days per week, to ensure maximum efficiency and a fast return to service.

Result

The service professionals who worked together seamlessly under our Mobile Trailer Maintenance Program successfully completed repairs on over 75 trailers, after which they were approved to return to service. Our fast response allowed FEMA to continue delivering emergency supplies on schedule.

“We understood how critical this project was and poured everything we had into helping FEMA fulfill its mission on the Gulf Coast. KCH is proud to continue partnering with FEMA to help others in need across America.” – Jason Whitten, President, KCH Transportation