Editor’s note: Maria F. Neve’s correct title is Manager at Mercury Associates
Fleet Playbook for Today’s Emergency Preparedness
NAFA Fleet Management Association
When fleet operatives prepare for a natural emergency, they require an action plan to remain operational and safe during extreme circumstances.
Fleet professionals today face an assortment of natural disasters, both external––such as tornadoes and floods, and internal––such as viruses and mass shootings. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) reports that there were 14 weather and climate disaster events last year alone, with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States.
Worst-case scenarios are quickly becoming commonplace––from earthquakes, fires, floods, and tornadoes, to viruses such as COVID-19 that panic consumers and disrupt the national supply chain. Just last week, a tornado touched down in Putnam County, Tennessee (about 80 miles East of Nashville) that killed 24 people and required the governor to call a state of emergency, bringing in the National Guard to sift through the rubble.
The bottom line? Modern fleet professionals operate under extreme and unpredictable conditions, and they require actionable disaster plans to mitigate the impact of each of the most devastating natural events.