NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 2, 2008) — Bridgestone Americas Holding (BAH) Inc. will officially launch April 3 its Bridgestone Emergency Response Team (BERT) in an effort to provide relief to first responders during emergency situations.
The team was formed in large part as a response to Hurricane Katrina when two company employees brought up the question of what the company could do to help victims of large-scale disasters.
In February, the team had its chance to “test the waters,” serving as a mobile donation collection station in the aftermath of a series of tornados that struck Macon and Sumner Counties in Tennessee, a BAH spokeswoman said.
BERT, which is working under the guidance of the Tennessee Emergency Management Association (TEMA), consists of 18 TEMA-certified employee volunteers.
The team will be responsible for distributing donations, food and water to first responders as well as providing temporary housing and emergency vehicle tire repair services, BAH said.