Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, tornados and floods can strike anytime. For over three decades, US Ecology has been the most trusted disaster response provider to customers in a variety of industries working as a true partner to help them prepare, respond and recover.
We stand ready to apply proven strategies to limit risk and exposure to events and rapidly mobilize comprehensive resources wherever they are needed. Our focus on best-in-class customer service and unmatched mobilization response time require the utmost preparedness in our operations. The experience we have gained over the years has helped to build our response protocols, training and resources, and enhance our ability to provide quality response services that are compliant, safe and efficient.
How do we ensure readiness?
Every response starts with a phone call either to the nearest US Ecology location or most often to the Global Response Operation Center. This state-of-the-art in-house 24/7/365 response hotline is staffed with a team of full-time US Ecology Emergency Response Specialists. These individuals are professionally trained to understand the needs of every response request and handle multiple responses simultaneously with ease. They dispatch needed resources and serve as the liaison between the field and the customer from start to finish. Even when major events increase our call volume significantly, we can field up to 1,700 phone calls per month without sacrificing consistent high-quality service and timely responses.
In the field, we achieve readiness by employing highly trained individuals that have the experience and knowledge necessary to effectively prepare for and respond to natural disasters. To maintain and ever-improve upon their skillsets, our crews conduct year-round in-the-field training and drills going through real-life scenarios with a thorough focus on health and safety including wildland fire training, rail snow plowing and other response drills.
What happens before an event?
Forecasting technology helps us track all major weather events and mobilize equipment ahead of time to where it is most likely needed. We use this technology to follow the path of hurricanes and to know where to send fire trailers and incorporate sprinklers and wetting agents, which are often outfitted with wireless technology, prior to a wildfire pushing through.
We are renowned for thoroughly evaluating our customers' operations and developing tailored emergency response plans that are sound and effective for their individual needs. The same procedure is used on our own operations, and we follow our emergency response plan to complete several steps to ensure operational readiness and the ability to immediately deploy resources to our customers. These include:
- Identifying sources and securing gasoline for vehicles and diesel fuel for trucks
- Issuing satellite (SAT) phones to regional leads and response managers
- Issuing emergency responder tags/badges for all response vehicles to ensure access to customers in impacted areas, clearance around blockades, evacuations and/or curfews as required
- Stocking response vehicles with supplies and materials and stage for rapid deployment
- Securing accommodations for response personnel mobilized to the impact zone(s), as well as for any team members displaced by the disaster
Due to our nationwide footprint, we have operations nearly everywhere in the country. This means we not only work on reducing risk and providing protection of our customers’ assets but also maintaining our own facilities in affected areas, ensuring a safe return to normal operations as swiftly as possible. In preparation of an upcoming event, we relocate response vessels and equipment and conduct safety meetings to ensure the readiness of our staff in terms of evacuation procedures and check-ins during any type of natural disaster.
In advance, we hold daily task force meetings with all operations involved in the approaching event. Attended by key regional and branch operational management as well as support functions such as health and safety, call center management, IT, purchasing and other subject matter experts, these calls provide an overview of the latest status, trajectory and projected impact, customer outreach and anticipated support needs, and internal preparations to protect infrastructure and personnel.
It is our belief that the better we are prepared, the better we can support our customers. All the disaster response procedures and plans put in place ensure the readiness and unequaled service excellence our customers come to expect.
When disaster strikes, trust the # 1 response provider for over 30 years. Our professional crews are on standby ready to deploy the right resources to manage your response and recovery needs. We provide unequaled service excellence and the convenience and reduced risk of one partner from start to finish. Contact us to learn more about our Disaster Response services or call us 24/7/365 at (800) 899-4672 to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives.
