I Rarely Mention my Employer here.
Mainly because I think it's important to write generally at an industry level. However, I am very proud of a particular group that I am humbled to call colleagues.
DHL Disaster Response Teams (DRT) are volunteer groups of people who react to both domestic and international disasters, whether man made or natural. The DHL press release below documents the efforts of the Americas DRT in its present deployment in Peru as a result of the earthquake there.
These folks are not professional specialists. These are rank and file employees who have gotten special training. They deploy to hot spots within their global regions and work with local law and government agencies in ways they can help best. Generally that means providing blankets, clothing, food, cooking gear and general survival rations to help people cope with disaster.
One thing that I think is important to note is that the DHL DRT teams are not "branded". They wear blue jump suits, but nowhere on their clothing does it say "DHL". They are part of a greater good in this instance.
What is interesting is how these teams use their logistics experience in the relief efforts. For instance, the DRT has developed a "ball" that can be airdropped to victims that contains survival food (Rice and Beans). Rice and Beans seem like poverty food, but beans contain protein and rice contains valuable energy in carbohydrate form. Whats critical is that both can be cooked over an open fire with only water and a single pot. Guess what? The air drop contains a pot to cook with too. All this is backed up with DHL's global forwarding, project, express and aviation network. When Katrina victims needed water, DHL (and many others) flew entire aircraft full of bottled water into the area.
The DHL Disaster Response Teams have helped out with a number of efforts including Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, The earthquakes in Pakistan and Peru and others. This is part of Deutsche Posts global social responsibility program, but I think it's just great people doing whats right. This is what corporations should do as part of the communities they serve.
I'm humbled and honored to work along side these colleagues.
Eric
| DHL Delivers Help to Earthquake Victims in Peru |
| Pisco, Peru -- August 21, 2007 |
|
Expert volunteers provide logistics support at Pisco Air Base
The DRT Americas, based in South Florida, and DRT Asia Pacific, based
in Singapore, were both set up last year. A third DRT for the region
Middle East and Africa is planned for this year so that DHL will be
able to offer its humanitarian support worldwide. The DRTs, whose
services are provided free of charge, each draw on a pool of about 80
DHL employees. Up to 15 DHL expert volunteers are on the scene at any
one time. "Sheer manpower and goodwill are making up for the lack of
cargo handling equipment," said Chris Weeks, Director of Humanitarian
Affairs at DHL, who is on the scene. "The DRT is busy reorganizing the
two temporary warehouses at Pisco Air Base so that more goods can be
stored under cover and shipped out more quickly."
Because the main highway between Lima and the affected region was
heavily damaged, most relief supplies are being flown directly to
Pisco. Each day, planes loaded with tents, blankets, medicines, food,
drinking water and other supplies land at the air force base. In
addition to the work at the airport, the DRT Americas and local
officials are considering the possibility of dropping relief supplies
by helicopter in outlying areas that have not yet received any help.
Officials say more than 500 people were killed and more 1,500 injured
in the devastating quake that struck the South American country. An
estimated 200,000 people are thought to be homeless.
By itself, the DRT has already managed 400 tons of relief items and
most donations have consisted of grains (including rice and beans) and
clothing. Local authorities have announced the need for tents
(family-size), diapers and toilet paper. In addition, many people have
lost their homes, therefore, there is a need for building supplies
including hammers, wheel barrows, shovels. Relief materials have
arrived from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Ireland, USA,
Venezuela, and Peru.
In recent years, DHL and its employees have gained extensive experience
in disaster relief management and are able to react quickly and in a
professional manner to sudden onset natural disasters. The company has
already used its transport and logistics skills as part of relief
efforts launched after the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean,
Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region and the earthquake in
northern Pakistan. For years, DHL has been active in the countries
where it conducts business in to live up to its social responsibility
standards. |
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