Schneider National Enters into Disaster Recovery Partnership with Ashwaubenon Public Safety

Formal plan for efficient incident command response is the first of its kind in Northeast Wisconsin


 


GREEN BAY, WIS. – DECEMBER 3, 2007 – In a crisis, time is never more precious and clear direction is never more critical.  Knowing this, Schneider National, Inc. (a premier provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services) recently entered into a unique partnership with its local municipality, the Ashwaubenon (Wis.) Public Safety department, to ensure an efficient and effective recovery from any disaster that may strike the company’s Green Bay headquarters. This partnership, which has its roots in the President Bush’s Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, is the first of its kind in Northeast Wisconsin.


 


The formalized relationship between Schneider National and Ashwaubenon Public Safety (APS) has resulted in an emergency response plan called the Incident Command System. Jointly developed by Schneider and APS, it details the specific actions that individuals from both organizations will be responsible for in the case of an emergency situation.


 


“As a global company operating in the transportation industry, Schneider National has always been aware of the risks inherent in the operation of our business and the importance of being prepared for any situation,” said Bill Marotz, Schneider’s disaster recovery/business continuity coordinator. “We have taken many proactive, internally focused steps over the years in the area of disaster prevention and recovery. Yet going through this process with Ashwaubenon Public Safety department has emerged as one of the most valuable parts of our plan, and we now feel even more confident that together our teams can fully and quickly maintain public safety and restore business as usual.”


 


The idea for this partnership was born soon after Schneider National helped Brown County’s Emergency Management department bring experts from Michigan State University to Green Bay for a presentation on developing public/private disaster recovery relationships.  Representatives from both Schneider and Ashwaubenon Public Safety were inspired by the information shared at the conference and decided to take their learnings to the next level. 


 


Brown County Emergency Management is now encouraging area businesses to engage in similar relationships with their respective municipalities. In fact, a new division of the department has been established to help those interested in making disaster recovery relationships a reality. Just last month, the department received a grant from the Wisconsin Homeland Security Office of Justice Assistance. This grant has helped launch the Brown County Partnership for Disaster Recovery, whose mission is to help every other area business—regardless of scope or size—develop partnerships with their own municipality.



“Businesses are vital to a community. They support the local economy, facilitate future growth and allow for sustainability,” says Cullen Peltier, director, Brown County Emergency Management.


“So when a disaster occurs at a business, it’s in the community’s best interest to help that business return to normal as quickly as possible. Working together makes that response much more efficient, since the parties involved know each other’s capabilities, resources and plans.”


 


Lt. Rick Buntrock of Ashwaubenon Public Safety concurs, stating one of the primary benefits of cooperatively designing an Incident Command System is that the resulting plan is tailored to the individual company’s needs. 


 


“Schneider has helped us identify key factors to a successful recovery effort at their site, such as ways emergency responders can access the building during disasters, critical areas of the business to protect and processes for coordinating paths into and out of dangerous zones. By working directly with Schneider, we now understand their business needs and know how to execute the plan more effectively.”


 


For more information about the Brown County Partnership for Disaster Recovery, please contact Paul Gazdik at 920.676.8235.  


 


About Schneider National, Inc.


Schneider National, Inc. is a premier provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services. Serving more than two-thirds of the FORTUNE 500 companies, Schneider National offers the broadest portfolio of services in the industry. The company’s transportation and logistics solutions include One-Way, Intermodal, Transportation Management, Dedicated, Bulk, Supply Chain Management, Warehousing and International Logistics services.


Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider National has provided expert transportation and logistics solutions for more than 70 years. A $3.7 billion company, Schneider National conducts business in more than 28 countries in North America, Europe and Asia and continues to grow its international service offerings. For more information about Schneider National visit www.schneider.com or call (800) 558-6767.