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Resources Equipment and material used during the crisis primarily came from affected Divisions, assisting Divisions, outside suppliers, and the Equipment and Inventory Control Unit. Fall 1999 NCDOT Y2K readiness efforts proved to be a great resource for providing emergency supplies to handle the demands of Hurricane Floyd. These supplies included extra fuel, back-up generators and other critical items. Other requests were coordinated through NCDOT's Purchasing Section or the Equipment and Inventory Control Unit. These offices, and the Chief Engineer's Office, used NCDOT's statewide mainframe inventory program to locate resources. They also attempted to consolidate statewide emergency supply orders to benefit from economies of scale. The pre-planned emergency procurement process was successful in obtaining items that were in short supply. Although field and central office personnel worked well together, opportunities to fine-tune the distribution process were identified. When Divisions ordered supplies, some were delivered to the Equipment and Inventory Control Unit. Often, the Equipment and Inventory Control Unit was not told who had ordered these supplies, which impeded distribution. Also, poor coordination resulted in unneeded materials being sent from one Division to another. 
Better pre-planning and coordination would improve assistance efforts within the Department. Division staff are knowledgeable about local topographic and geographic needs. However, support units are knowledgeable about the different types of equipment and materials. They also recognize the need for the use of non-standard procurement methods during emergencies. The large volume of supplies ordered, and the working relationships between units and suppliers should benefit NCDOT in getting fair prices and faster service in emergency situations. The use of e-mail was suggested to assist in coordinating communication between the Divisions about needed resources and their availability. The Chief Engineer's staff could use the mainframe inventory system to assist in prioritizing these needs statewide. Vandalism, relocation and theft of traffic control equipment further depleted supplies. Affected Divisions requested additional devices from other Divisions, as well as from the North Carolina Department of Corrections (DOC). However, the barricades provided by DOC only included horizontal panels, not the actual vertical supports necessary to create a Type III barricade. Department employees in Division Three designed a support system to meet this urgent need. NCDOT has continued using the improved design, and is considering bundling these barricades into kits that can be transported for quick and easy emergency usage. Use of VMS and HAR was not maximized due to inoperable equipment or lack of training. Field employees suggested that standardizing equipment likely to be relocated statewide, such as VMS and HAR, would help to insure the equipment's use. This also would allow a single employee to operate and service all the equipment deployed regardless of the source. The Purchasing Section felt standardization would help minimize maintenance costs. Training in the use of the VMS and HAR would be beneficial. Also, many of the HAR were inoperable at the time of the storm and should be repaired. |