JACKSONVILLE, Fl. – September 15, 2022- LIFT Non-Profit Disaster Logistics successfully coordinated partners for an organized Rapid Deployment Exercise (RDE) of water purification, shelter and power generation equipment.
With the goal of bridging the supply chain gap during a time of crisis, LIFT and its partners are working to maximize efficiency in resilience and preparedness to affect efficient response and recovery and minimize suffering and loss of life.
Michael Rettig, President of LIFT, believes the metrics for success in any type of complex humanitarian emergency is time and money. “Strategically prepositioning Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Response resources and aligning with humanitarian logistics partners we are able to ensure rapid response through the use of air, land and ocean assets,” Rettig explains.
The initial phase of the RDE focused on acceptance and storage of humanitarian aid and life-saving equipment provided by partners, World Hope International, Good 360, The Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the UPS Foundation, Amazon Disaster Relief, DLX and Katadyn at the pre-positioned disaster logistics hub located in Florida.
As they would respond in the event of a future natural disaster or humanitarian crisis, Coyote Logistics and Blue Tide Aviation (BTA) recovered the relief items from the LIFT warehouse and loaded the critical cargo into BTA’s C-23 Sherpa capable of carrying 705,000 pounds. The humanitarian logistics organizations were able to execute the RDE through runway and airport operations and the event culminated with the safe departure and take-off of the aircraft.
Blue Tide Aviation is excited about the partnership with LIFT. A Veteran Owned and Operated business, President Justin Brown highlighted the success of the exercise and the call to service after serving. “We gained valuable practical experience loading life-saving cargo,” he said. “And most importantly we forged relationships greater than any single organization for a calling greater than the sum of our collective efforts.”
From warehouse to take-off, the successful RDE showcased the ability to prepare for the worst while delivering the best in aid and response. The results lead Rettig to confidently claim, “LIFT empowers disaster response organizations to fulfill their respective mandates to help save lives and reduce suffering.”