Caterpillar Defense & Federal Products Delivers 22 Mobile Generator Sets for Hurricane Matthew Emergency Response

As Hurricane Matthew was about to make landfall in the U.S., Caterpillar’s Defense & Federal Products (D&FP) division was mobilizing 22 mobile generator sets for use in the emergency response efforts.

On the morning of October 6, the U.S. federal government sent out a request for quote (as Hurricane Matthew approached the Bahamas) and by 6:30 that evening, Caterpillar was awarded the contract and mobilization began. When Matthew changed course the following day, the destination was changed to Cat® Dealer Yancey Cat and the XQ1000 and XQ800 units were delivered to their Austel, Georgia location.

John Holland, a New Jersey-based rental power manager for Cat Dealer Foley Inc., began soliciting dealer inventory to establish the closest resources to meet the quick delivery requirement.

Holland organized the 22 generator sets, and all necessary cables and hardware for operations. The mobilization required 22 semi-tractors with 44 drivers to comply with DOT driver on-duty limitations. Holland dispatched a Foley service technician to Austel with 22 Product Link™ PL 131 (GPS) tracking devices for installation once the units arrived.

The hurricane weakened, so the generator assets were not used. The units ultimately returned to their respective Cat dealers (Ohio Cat, H.O. Penn and Foley).

“Even though the generator sets were not needed, it was still a useful exercise,” Holland says. “It demonstrated that we can respond on short notice. We got the equipment there and met the timelines—everything was delivered and ready to roll.”

D&FP Provides Generator Support to FEMA

In an emergency, Caterpillar D&FP is prepared to deliver mobile power when and where it’s needed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

On March 4, 2016, D&FP was selected to be one of five contractors awarded a $45 million, five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to provide generator support to FEMA. 

“EVEN THOUGH THE GENERATOR SETS WERE NOT NEEDED, IT WAS STILL A USEFUL EXERCISE. IT DEMONSTRATED THAT WE CAN RESPOND ON SHORT NOTICE. WE GOT THE EQUIPMENT THERE AND MET THE TIMELINES—EVERYTHING WAS DELIVERED AND READY TO ROLL.”

This contract provides for the rapid deployment of generator sets to support FEMA disaster relief operations in order to protect against, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against threatened or actual major or catastrophic disasters and emergencies – both natural and man-made, including acts of terror.

D&FP is the prime contractor for this contract, and Cat Dealer Foley is the key subcontractor. Foley Cat has a long history of supporting natural disaster relief efforts, including Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene, 9/11 and many others.

Foley Cat works with multiple Cat dealers to secure the needed generator sets for each task order, including arranging for round trip shipping, bill of material coordination, dealer-to-dealer communications and rebilling, GPS tracking, task order tracking, 24/7 repair request and other items for Caterpillar.

As part of this contract, D&FP participated in a live FEMA exercise in July to demonstrate its readiness skills for seven generator set model sizes, ranging from 25 - 500 kW. These units were delivered by Cat Dealer Yancey to a FEMA distribution location in Atlanta, Georgia.

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