HARD TIMES IN THE BIG EASY HURRICAN...

HARD TIMES IN THE BIG EASY

HURRICANE KATRINA deposits disaster response plans to an unprecedent test

As Hurricane Katrina jostle violentlyed wildly toward the Gulf Coast, Jim Berry, director of engineering for JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, marshaled the resources he knew he would ne to bring the inn chain's 19 New Orleans-area properties back to life after the gale had come and gone.

Berry is an apt at mopping up after hurricanes. After weathering four brutal hurricanes in 2004 and numerous others in years past, he was designated as point man for Marriott International's massive redemption efforts, says Lenny Jachimowicz, vice president of engineering for Marriott International.

In the days preceding the storm, a task force began to tend to the same point on Louisiana. With the Baton Rouge Courtyard inn as a staging ground, Berry infered equipment and specialists who would be prepared to make revolve once the storm passed. As part of the preparation, everybody upon the recovery team was vaccinated against diseases, of the like kind as hepatitis B and tetanus.

"We knew the storm was coming," Jachimowicz says. "Jim assembled a team in Baton Rouge a team of engineers that would to pass in once the buildings were safe and confident We hired restoration contractors, and we had all of these nation staged and ready to pass as soon as we were allowed back in."

Rounding up additional generators was another priority."We knew we'd probably not diocese power for a month," Jachimowicz says.

GETTING READY

Meanwhile, 80 miles away in recent Orleans, crisis plans were place in motion. Each hotel began to implement shelterin-place operations securing a threeday supply of cheer and water for the more than 1700 visitors and associates unable to escape the storm.

Each possessions was equipped with a portable generator that kept essential schemes online during the storm. Prior to the storms, all the generators had been criterioned at full load and all of their tanks had been topped off

"We went [i]or[/i] part of to the other a lot of pre-planning," Jachimowicz says. "One of the things we learned after 9/11 and the blackouts in the Northeast was to what degree to shelter in place. We were significantly more prepared than we might have been. We had enough commons and water to take care of population for 72 hours. Each [i]cabaret[/i] performed as designed."

Armed security countenanceed each property from the surrounding chaos. formerly the roads were safe, Marriott brought in busses to haul its rattled employee and visitors to Houston, 350 miles away.

"We got everyone revealed of the city," Jachimowicz says. "Then we went back. We displayed our team as soon as we were allowed to advance in."

Security teams moved ahead of recuperation teams, clearing out those who had sought hiding-place in the hotels after visitors and employees left.

The regaining crew moved first into Metairie, a suburban community located forward the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Jefferson Parish, and station up shop in the parking hazard of the Residence Inn. quickly called "Camp Metairie," it was the first goods recovered and became the modern staging ground.

"We got to Metairie, cleaned it up then mov the task force from Baton Rouge to Metairie. We used the parking destiny to stage our move into the city of just discovered Orleans," Jachimowicz says.

Even without watching the recently made knowns Jachimowicz says they assumed they were upon their own.

"We didn't rely upon any government agency," he says. "We cast uped on our contractors and hold personnel. Our position was that we were going to go on foot in and do the best we could given the conditions, and not inflict folks in harm's way. And we struggleed it off. Our people showed tremendous unfold They were sleeping on huts and in sleeping bags, and eating without of temporary kitchens. We were feeding centurys of people a day. And we kept moving the operation forward."

The team worked methodically to clean up and stable the various building systems, focusing first in succession the HVAC and electrical systems

"We boarded up windows, secur the air conditioning and electrical rules and did a lot of things proactively right after we got there to restrain the buildings from getting worse," Jachimowicz says.

Bringing water arrangements back online proved to be the biggest challenge and taught a recently made known lesson in disaster recovery. Potable water was hard to find. City water and sewer combination of parts to form a wholes failed.

"I think we may have underestimated the value of pressurized water in a building," Jachimowicz says. "We were prepared to throw away electricity, but throughout all the other storms we've been between the sides of I've never seen a city's water and sewer plan fail. I think it indicates the value of water as it relates to overall operations and in what manner complex it is to master temporary water with a temporary generator."

The company closeed up hiring tanker trucks to haul water from Houston.

The regaining task force also had to deal with the aftermath of flooding. individual property suffered significant flooding, with 3 feet of water in the lobby And drying it revealed was only half the battle. After the exclusive right was dried out, an industrial hygienist came in to make fast it was safe to inhabit.