Are you ready for hurricane season 2023?
Hurricane season can be a dangerous and stressful time, especially for response agencies. These agencies need to be adequately prepared for the numerous hazards tropical storms and hurricanes can bring. It’s our job at Paladius, to guide and equip agencies, ensuring they are adequately prepared for such events.
The following product categories will advance the rescue and care of citizens after a storm. It is imperative for agency decision-makers to factor in procurement lead times as many products are not off-the-shelf or stocked locally. Here is a list of key items that can help response agencies in the Caribbean prepare for the 2023 hurricane season:
1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): During hurricane season, a rescuer must protect themselves first, in order to be effective at helping others during an emergency. Examples of PPE include: Occunomix reflective Bomber Jackets and Rain Jackets, helmets with face protection, gloves, flood coveralls, safety glasses from 3M, and personal safety lights from Guardian Angel. Delivery times range between 3 to 8 weeks. Lead times may increase with the addition of personalized agency lettering and logos.
2. Emergency vehicles: Specialized Emergency Vehicles remain a core tool in any response agency. For instance, 4x4 or 6x6 vehicles like the Acela Water Flood Truck. Regular maintenance and care are critical to ensure vehicles are ready to respond in an emergency. Paladius specializes in highly customizable vehicles, designed to meet each client’s particular needs. Production times vary depending on chassis availability and customization level. Lead times range between 9 and 24 months, from the date of order placement.
3. Water rescue equipment: Obstacle removal and gaining access to collapsed structures requires specialized tools, such as Husqvarna Rescue Saws. Flooded urban areas are also an all too common occurrence after a storm. Rescuers need to prepare for water rescues. One Boat’s R-Series Rescue Boat and the appropriate NRS Water Rescue Gear/Accessories are designed specifically for these scenarios. For mountainous areas, it is imperative to have CMC Vertical Rescue Equipment. Lead times range between 3 to 18 weeks.
4. Drones: Drones have proven to be incredibly effective tools for search and rescue, as they allow a single user to scan large areas in a short period of time. This frees up manpower and far more expensive assets such as helicopters, to focus on other tasks. Utilizing the thermal camera on Skydio’s X2, allows for rapid identification of missing/trapped individuals, and can also be implemented to identify structural or brush fire hot spots. Lead times currently hover around 3 weeks.
5. Emergency shelters: A must-have capability, is to be able to quickly deploy a shelter with power, climate control, and water. DLX’s ASAP Mission Ready Package does just this, whether it’s because of unsafe structures or the lack of appropriate buildings. It can serve as a portable hospital, command center, and shelter. Full deployment of the "ASAP Shelter" can be completed in just 10 minutes by two trained personnel. Procurement time ranges from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the quantity ordered.
Hurricane preparedness is critical and requires advanced planning. As previously noted, lead times for specialized equipment vary greatly. That’s why we at Paladius emphasize the importance for public safety agencies to have a well-defined emergency plan. The corresponding equipment must be procured well in advance of June 1st, the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Be prepared. Our team of expert sales staff is here to help. Contact us today!
Paladius Corp. | (787) 786-1555 | Sales@paladius.com