By Carmen Daecher
The Daecher Consulting Group

Katrina.

Nothing else has to be said.

The most far-reaching disaster in our nations history. I hope and pray it remains so.

By the time you read this, more than 1,000 dead. Hundreds of billions of dollars for complete reclamation and restoration.

A city below sea level drowned. Towns in Mississippi eliminated. Tens of thousands of people without jobs. Tens of thousands temporarily or permanently homeless.

Mother Nature reminds us once again that no matter how powerful and intelligent we thank we are there is a greater force. A force we cannot control; a force that can control our destiny. While evil men may try to shake our lives, Mother Nature can do the same thing with more devastation. And while we can thwart evil men, we cannot stop Mother Nature.

The potential to know what could happen and possibly how to respond - ignored. Official weather predictions - ignored. The attitude of "chances are slim - why worry?" prevailed. Now, finger pointing galore. An entire country at odds. Iraq is no longer headline news.

While we know why it happened, the nagging question is why did it have to be so bad? Why didnt someone anticipate that the levees would fail? Why were people trapped for so long?

Why didnt all levels of government do more? Where was the leadership? Where was their wisdom? And I will add one other question to this list: Where were the buses?

Yes, buses from many states came to the rescue and transported evacuees to safety. But, it is painfully obvious that for all of the "talking" we have heard for four years (since 9/11), a woeful lack of planning and preparation occurred to meet such a disaster. I dont want to hear that Katrina was something that had a low probability. Mother Nature will always be here and will always show her might. Hurricanes, earthquakes and the like should be expected and must be met with decisive action when they occur.

During Katrina, planes could not fly and trains did not move. But buses continued to weave their way along navigable sections of highway and roadways if necessary. They could get as close to evacuees as possible. They could carry up to 55 people with their belongings to safe harbor, and offer them comfort facilities as part of the ride. The Superdome did not have to be a place of misery for any longer than the time it took to assemble a queue of motorcoaches and possibly school buses to move people to other locations. But where were the buses?

There are cities that have contingency plans in place for disasters that incorporate buses to move residents to safer locations. No such plan apparently was in place in New Orleans. Nor was it apparent that such contingencies were in place at the state and federal levels. Why not?

When will the federal government realize that motorcoaches are one of the strongest components of our transportation system? When will they recognize the strategic potential of the motorcoach industry in serving the people of this country and in fulfilling a critical need in times of emergency? When will they embrace and support the industry from at least a crisis/disaster component, if nothing else?

It is time for the industry to assert its rightful place of strategic importance to this country. It is time for this country and the federal government to understand the value of the motorcoach industry, and support it as necessary so it is available and can respond to catastrophes and in times of need.

The time is now to go to the halls of Congress and make this case. With the finger pointing going on, they should welcome an answer for preventing a Katrina-type disaster response from happening again.

While I believe the motorcoach industry has the capacity to accept this critical role, you must be sure you are prepared. Does your company have plans for contingencies associated with emergencies and natural disasters? Have you thought about where your employees may go and how they can remain safe if they find themselves in the midst of a disaster such as a hurricane or a flood? Can you move your buses quickly to a safe place at a moments notice if necessary?

If you are not prepared for such contingencies, you are not prepared to serve others in need during disasters and catastrophes. Remember the five Ps: Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

Hurricane Katrina was a wake up call. We must be prepared to respond appropriately to any disaster for our own purposes to be available to serve the greater need. The industry should stand tall and demand its appropriate place for response to future emergencies and disasters. Government at all levels should start practicing the five Ps and recognize your value, seek it out, and let you serve as only you can in time of need.