 The disaster scene, the day after two planes struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City. PHOTO: Mike Segar/Reuters. For more news, click here: www.cnn.com |
NEW YORK and WASHINGTON - Following Tuesday’s attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon using three hijacked planes, cleanup efforts continue, requiring the need for massive amounts of demolition and cleanup equipment to be used at the disaster sites. Several landscape equipment manufacturers have sent various equipment to assist in the cleanup efforts in both New York City and Washington D.C.
Caterpillar has provided both equipment and operator expertise to efforts in New York, including 25 contractors working at the site. According to Curt Caughey in Caterpillar's North American Commercial Division, trained operator assistance is paramount in the success of these efforts. "It is one thing to provide machines, but if there aren't qualified operators available, the efforts will not be as effective," he said.
Caterpillar has sent specialized demolition machines with high reach from its Aurora, Ill., facility and two experienced operators from its Edwards, Ill., training center to operate the machines in New York. Police escorts have been arranged and permits will be waived by various states, with arrival of the machines and operators in New York anticipated on Friday morning, Sept. 14.
Caterpillar Rental Power is working with federal officials to get emergency power activated and has power modules of all sizes on site or en route to the disaster sites. Additionally, Caterpillar's North American Commercial Division is providing needed machines, power generation units and parts to assist in the rescue and clean up efforts, including all immediately available light towers, generators, power modules and excavators equipped with work tools such as shears and grapples.
Construction equipment manufacturer Case-New Holland (CNH) is working in coordination with New York City, the state of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide wheeled excavators, skid steer loaders, wheel loaders and backhoes to the disaster scene in support of cleanup efforts.
John Deere is donating equipment, such as Gator utility vehicles - possibly equipped with medical beds - concrete saws, generators and skid steer loaders to the New York City cleanup. The company has offered Gator utility vehicles to the Virginia Department of Emergency Services and the Arlington County Fire Department to assist at the Pentagon site. Additionally, Scheffel Equipment of Somerset, Pa., a John Deere dealership located just five miles away from the site where a fourth hijacked plane crashed, has supplied rescue workers with utility tractors and Gator utility vehicles.
Deere also said its Construction & Forestry Division is prepared to send loaders, excavators and other necessary equipment to the disaster sites as soon as the Federal agencies in charge determine their exact needs.