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Project
Background
Hurricane Katrina caused extensive loss and damage to structures
and property along the Gulf of Mexico coast between New Orleans,
LA and Mobile, AL. Numerous Transportation Service Providers (TSPs)
that store Personal Property of Military families under contract
with the Department of Defense (DOD) were affected by the storm.
Approximately 1,505,660 pounds of property were stored in these
facilities that were damaged. The purpose of this contract is to
procure expert services that will clean, dry, and restore the items
to permit continued warehousing without further deterioration. Problem
In order to restore the items to permit continued warehousing without
further deterioration, the items needed to be inspected, cleaned,
dried, and repacked in clean containers. This process would only
be complete if the items were deemed ‘salvageable’, meaning they
could be restored to a usable state. Due to the personal nature
of the items and the possibility that the owners may be present
at inspection, the issue of whether to discard rather than clean
will be daily challenge. Coordination military and civilian agencies
will be crucial. Program responsibilities were to include the drafting
of the program plan, mobilization, site preparation, and set-up,
provide specialized equipment, property cleaning, drying, sanitizing,
disposal, repacking, and provide the proper documentation for each
shipment.
GEO
Solution
GEO developed a streamlined process of inspecting each individual’s
property. This process utilized the space in each individual warehouse
to efficiently complete the inspections, restoring, cleaning, and
disposal.
Prior to initiation of field efforts on the Gulf Coast, numerous
work plans and inspection and analysis plans, including a Quality
Assurance Program Plan, a Waste Management Plan, and a Site-Specific
Safety and Health Plan, were developed and implemented. GEO worked
with warehouse owners to establish a daily routine that allowed
the warehouse to continue the daily operations and support the RHG
activities when needed. GEO coordinated with military personnel
to keep the property owners in mind while inspecting the items.
All shipments that had been impacted by water were completely unpacked
and each item checked against the original invoice provided by the
warehouse. All items deemed not suitable for reuse were documented
on paper and a photograph was taken of the item and placed in the
GEO office file. Items that could be returned to a usable state
were cleaned, disinfected, and repackaged in new materials. After
project completion, GEO provided each warehouse copies of all shipments
deemed ‘unsalvageable’, along with the necessary paperwork and photographs.
Benefits
to Client
GEO’s ability to excel in an ever changing scope and workload helped
them to complete the 6 month contract in almost half the time and
approximately $500,000 below the original contract amount. GEO inspected
over 250 individual shipments in four different locations along
the Gulf Coast in an efficient and professional manner.
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