Fastenal’s New All Hazards Guide Features Core Supplies for Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery
Fastenal (Winona, MN), a national distributor of industrial and construction supplies, has introduced an All Hazards Guide with more than 2,500 products used before, during and after a disaster event.
Featuring everything from tools and equipment to PPE and sanitation items, the guide is part of Fastenal’s initiative to leverage its national distribution system to support government emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
“When a disaster occurs, the Fastenal Blue Team responds,” said Dave Olson, Fastenal’s director of public safety/emergency management. “With pre-staged inventory, a wholly-owned transportation fleet, and local ‘feet on the street’ in all 50 states, we have a unique ability to provide products immediately and support a whole community response.”
The company’s emergency supply chain initiative, known as Blue Team Responds, includes aligning company-owned vehicles to meet the needs of local, state and federal agencies; vertically integrating with key suppliers to respond more quickly during events; and developing core emergency management product categories like safety products, generators, pumps, sandbags and water.
Fastenal operates its own transportation system comprising nearly 5,500 big trucks and local delivery vehicles, providing logistical flexibility in emergency situations. Local Fastenal personnel can support on-site recovery efforts with mobile trailers, recovery containers, and Internet-enabled mobile command centers, essentially bringing a Fastenal “store” to the response site.
As part of the Blue Team Responds initiative, Fastenal’s response team continuously trains leaders within its distribution centers, sales districts and stores about disaster preparedness and planning. Company personnel have also participated in a number of outside emergency management training events, including FEMA’s national level exercise in May 2011. Over the past year, Fastenal stores have played an active role in supporting local communities during disaster events, including the flooding in South Dakota, the tornadoes in Joplin, MO, and severe weather events across the East Coast.
Visit www.fastenal.com for more information.
