Premium On Safety - Issue 14, 2014 - 2

Hurricane Season...

Operators may prepare contingency
plans for any number of scenarios-
including fires, national emergency,
and even widespread TFRs that make

(continued from page 1)

company also distributes emergency response checklists with
information regarding equipment to have on hand, needed
supplies, and even instructions
on how to purify drinking water.
"And of course, we notify
our customers," Tonko continued. "However, their individual
responses are largely dictated by
the terms of their insurance coverage. Some policies will require
that operators fly out of the area
for even a tropical storm."
While the customer bears
ultimate responsibility for the
decision to relocate to an alternate airfield where they can
wait out the storm, Tonko noted
that Banyan maintains relationships with fixed base operators
(FBOs) at many outlying airports to assist pilots on a case
by case basis.
"Since it's tough to determine where a storm may track
once it reaches land, finding
an alternate field can be a difficult judgment call to make,"
he added.

Employee safety a
top priority
travel to a particular area difficult...
At 24 hours out and as landfall
becomes imminent, Banyan's first priority
From the theoretical to the practical
is ensuring the safety of its employees. As
Once a tropical cyclone is named-this
crews batten down company facilities and
occurs when its sustained winds exceed
hangars, a dedicated hurricane committee
39 miles per hour, at which point it's a
tropical storm-Banyan's preparations shift comprised of Banyan employees determines any final action items, including
from the theoretical to the practical. "If at
when to send personnel home. Banyan's IT
three to five days out it looks like a storm
department also prepares to back up data
will impact us, we begin preparations to
at an off-site storage location.
shore up our facility," Tonko continued.
"We lock the doors when the storm
"That includes topping off our fuel farms,
is five hours out," Tonko continued.
making sure our generators are ready,
ensuring we have sufficient tie-down ropes "Nothing comes in or goes out, since
even at that point we're already experiand hangar pins, and laying out shutters
encing strong winds."
for the windows and doors."
While almost all employees have been
Banyan also prepares printed maps
sent home at that point, Banyan maintains
outlining the storm's projected course and
a skeleton crew at its terminal building
sends emails to personnel and customers
(rated to withstand a Category 4 storm,
regarding the expected storm track. The

Tonko noted) to coordinate reopening for
business once the storm passes. These
staffers answer phones and prepare for
post-impact operations.
"Our first responsibility is to check in
with our staff once the storm passes, and
make sure they're okay and don't need
assistance at their homes. Those who are
available may then come out to assess
any damage on the airfield and come up
with a specific response plan as required."
The best possible outcome, of course, is
for the storm to weaken and planning proven unnecessary. Still, Tonko noted that the
company follows the same essential plan
for all strong incoming storms, as "the one
[storm] you don't plan for will be the one
that hits you."
Wilma wasn't welcome in
South Florida
Banyan's emergency response plan faced
its strongest challenge to date in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Rated
as the fifth most powerful tropical cyclone
to form in the Atlantic Basin, Wilma struck
the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 5
storm before turning toward the northeast
to cross Florida as a strong Category 2
storm, with winds up to 110 mph and possibly exceeding that in some areas.
"Wilma didn't wipe us out, as it was primarily a wind event here, but it still took
24 hours for our operation to get back in
shape afterwards," Tonko recounted. "The
[Fort Lauderdale Executive] airport was shut
down, the tower was closed, and the roof of
our maintenance hangar lost its top layer."
While Banyan was back in operation
within a day, it took three days before the
airport reopened. "That's also when we
were pumping fuel again," Tonko added.
"Emergency power was restored to the
tower in 48 hours, and for a while past
that we were the only operational controlled field in the region."
Freelance aviation writer Rob Finfrock
has authored more than 300 articles
for numerous aviation organizations and
publications. He flies a Remos GX light
sport aircraft.

Premium On Safety - Issue 14, 2014

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