“In my short time with FEMA and working seven major disasters, I have never worked with any contracting team that was more professional and such a pleasure to work with as Foster Fuels.” —John Formet, Senior FEMA Region IV Logistics Accountable Property Manager

If you are responsible for your organization’s operations, then you already know the value of a thorough response process. According to FEMA, “America’s businesses form the backbone of the nation’s economy.” To keep American businesses running during incidents, FEMA encourages planning related to emergency preparedness, business continuity resources, cost analysis, business impact, and risk assessment. Although your business may already have an alternate power source on site, a successful critical response process usually requires additional services.

Foster Fuel’s mission critical services integrate with a timely and safe response process, allowing you to:

  • Prevent costly downtime
  • Secure your organization’s reputation, income, or sales
  • Comply with environmental regulations
  • Receive insurance discounts

Access a variety of deliverables, including:

  • Gasoline
  • Propane
  • Diesel
  • Biodiesel
  • Kerosene
  • Water

As you evaluate your mission critical response process with respect to power sources and fueling, consider the following key components. First, you need to test your plan, and ensure that in an emergency situation, you can fully implement it. To do so may require assistance from third-party emergency response teams to transition power sources effectively. Second, you need to find a strong team that can mobilize quickly. Third, you must secure support that lasts throughout recovery and back to normal operations. This continuity allows you to smoothly resume operations to non-emergency status.

1.Smoothly Implement Your Business Continuity Plan

A robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP) assesses the potential threats and risks to an organization, including the need for emergency fuel.  Once you have built an effective BCP, success relies upon a team that understands the plan in great detail and can implement the process properly. Kim Lindros and Ed Tittel of CIO.com recommend regular BCP review exercises, saying, “You have to rigorously test a plan to know if it’s complete and will fulfill its intended purpose.” Similarly, Ready.gov recomends testing and exercises, listing the following action points:

  • Train personnel; clarify roles and responsibilities
  • Reinforce knowledge of procedures, facilities, systems, and equipment
  • Improve individual performance as well as organizational coordination and communications
  • Evaluate policies, plans, procedures, and the knowledge and skills of team members
  • Reveal weaknesses and resource gaps
  • Comply with local laws, codes, and regulations
  • Garner recognition for the emergency management and business continuity program

Typically, the response process begins with an incident. As the appropriate teams begin following the protocols for recovery, your plan for alternate power is put to the test. Your BCP should include both preventive fuel quality services and a response process for emergency services that help eliminate risk of downtime.

2.Mobilize Quickly

In the event of a natural disaster, your emergency fuel partner should track the storm path to understand the potential timeline. Tracking prepares the team to mobilize rapidly when our customer calls. In light of this, we recommend placing the order as soon as the possibility of an incident arises. For other incidents, fuel suppliers should always be prepared to receive calls to support a critical response. Ready.gov states, “Following an incident that disrupts business operations, resources will be needed to carry out recovery strategies and to restore normal business operations. Resources can come from within the business or be provided by third parties.” Likewise, Foster Fuels remains always ready to activate, organize, deploy, and manage emergency fuel supply services for our contract customers.

Regardless of the situation, Foster Fuels swiftly deploys upon receiving the dispatch call. Once our trucks are on site, we can continue to supply the contracted daily amount of fuel with the assistance of our national and regional supply partners. This approach ensures that you stay up and running until full operations are restored.

3.Transition Back to Full Operations

Beyond the immediate need to transition between power sources, organizations require support throughout to reach recovery. As part of planning, Ready.gov reccommends, “… managers should estimate the resources that will be needed in the hours, days, and weeks following an incident.” This extended planning view requires our Mission Critical services, including emergency fuel, and can power:

  • Cars for employees and emergency personnel
  • Mass transit
  • Gas stations
  • Red Cross mobile kitchens
  • First responder sites
  • Generators

Whatever your needs, we work with your organization until you are prepared to return to a non-emergency status. At Foster Fuels, we recognize that each situation is unique, and we are fully prepared to handle whatever comes our way. To learn how we supplied fuel during Hurricane Sandy, download our case study.