AAMSCO Provides Credentials for Hundreds during Tornado Recovery Efforts
Little Rock, AR - May 3, 2011 - After a tornado smashed through Vilonia, Arkansas on April 25th, 2011, AAMSCO Identification Products immediately responded. As a provider of Emergency Event Management mobile solutions, AAMSCO was able to assist the local Emergency Management officials in developing a plan to issue credentials for the hundreds of volunteers who came to assist with the clean up. The storm which killed five people, destroyed 60 homes, and damaged another 300, left the small town in ruins.
After the Faulkner County Office of Emergency Management and the Vilonia Fire Department established their command center to account for first responders and their resources, attention turned to coordinating the hundreds of volunteers pouring into the devastated community. Quickly, the leaders realized the excessive numbers of civilians driving through damaged areas to see the destruction were causing problems for the utility trucks and volunteer workers making repairs. Additional issues with looting, theft, safety, and security was a major concern for areas without power. As a result, emergency management officials released guidelines for all volunteers assisting with the clean-up operation from the storm damage area.
AAMSCO responded by setting up a volunteer/resident check-in station at a local command post. At this station all volunteers were required to present a state issued identification card before the individual could receive a volunteer ID credential and their work assignment.
The process involved swiping the individual’s driver’s license through a reader that populated the individual’s information into a database and also checked them in on-scene. Later this information was used to generate a detailed report. During this same process, an ID card with a barcode was printed and issued. This card was used for access to controlled areas and it was also scanned if the volunteer returned again the next day. By scanning the barcode of the returning volunteer, the individual was quickly checked-in and immediately received their new work assignment. Ultimately no volunteers were allowed to enter the disaster zone without an incident specific ID badge, issued from the check-in command post. Those without a badge were escorted to this command post to be badged or escorted out of the city limits.
Over 2,200 credentials were issued during the six days which AAMSCO employees checked in the volunteers and residents. According to Fire Chief Keith Hillman, “The ability to issue and monitor the volunteers and residents using on-site issued credentials helped us tremendously with our ability to control and manage this many people coming into our devastated community. We are grateful to the employees of AAMSCO who provided the resources and technology to help manage these otherwise devastating circumstances for our town”.
