Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation’s 2018 Disaster Relief Aid Grows to Nearly $2.8 Million

PR Newswire

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation – the philanthropic arm of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand – has pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Michael.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees use LaunchPad® tablets to assist customers at a pop-up branch in Panama City, Fla.

This gift adds to the support the Foundation already provided earlier this year in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the California wildfires, Hawaii's record-breaking flooding and Kilauea Volcano eruption, and ongoing recovery in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria. The Foundation also made its annual donation to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program in May. In total, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation's total disaster relief support in 2018 has reached nearly $2.8 million.

However, in the wake of natural disasters, Enterprise's technology, expertise and network also can make a critical difference.

"We know from years of experience that the availability of reliable transportation plays a vital role in maintaining the health, welfare and safety of both hurricane victims and relief teams," said Don Moore, vice president of business rental sales and global corporate accounts for Enterprise Holdings, which owns the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand – as well as the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands.

"And our team is working hard to provide that kind of support to areas affected by Hurricane Michael," Moore noted, "especially as we move several thousands of rental cars and trucks to the Florida Panhandle to assist with the hurricane recovery and clean-up efforts in critical areas."

Rapid Response & Technology Make a Difference

Enterprise Holdings is the world's largest car rental provider with a fleet of 2 million vehicles and more than 10,000 fully staffed neighborhood and airport locations.

As Hurricane Michael approached the United States, Enterprise shifted resources to meet spiking demand for local ground transportation in affected areas. Each regional Enterprise Holdings subsidiary has an Emergency Action Plan to try to ensure its branch offices have the right number and types of vehicles available during disaster recovery.

The company is always prepared to respond and move vehicles into affected areas as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Even before the storm made landfall, Enterprise Holdings was already collaborating with catastrophe teams before they arrived in affected areas to assess damage and begin cleanup. These teams include insurance and energy/power companies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the General Services Administration (GSA), the National Guard, and state emergency response officials.

As part of the planning before and during a storm, employees can be sent home or to other operable locations with mobile tablets that enable them to process rental transactions from virtually anywhere. These Enterprise LaunchPad® tablets make it easier to manage local demand when customer calls to inoperable branch offices are automatically forwarded to other operational sites.

As soon as Hurricane Michael hit, Enterprise activated its Mobile Emergency Response Vehicle (MERV) and transported it to Panama City, Fla. MERV operates as a portable, state-of-the-art branch office in the event of an emergency. It is equipped with three workstations, five computers and a front counter. It can operate on a generator for more than 120 hours, supporting relief efforts even before local power is restored. Enterprise employees are able to use LaunchPad technology at the MERV site and additional pop-up locations, which have been set up to start quickly serving the transportation needs of customers in affected areas.

Enterprise Holdings Corporate Brands Logo. (PRNewsfoto/Enterprise Holdings)