Area bus company sending storm aid
Klein Transportation sending two motorcoaches to the Carolinas
DOUGLASSVILLE » A Berks County company will be on the front lines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Florence. The powerful storm is expected to make U.S. landfall along the southeastern coast later this week.
Klein Transportation, which is also known as Klein’s Bus Service, is sending two motorcoaches to help in the evacuation efforts in the Carolinas.
According to company president Wayne Klein, the company was contacted late Monday afternoon about sending the motorcoaches.
“We have two that we’re available to send right now. If more are needed, then we will look at how we can accommodate the request,” Klein said in an interview Tuesday.
Each motorcoach seats 54 passengers with luggage space underneath, according to Klein. The company currently has 14 motorcoaches in its fleet, along with 40 school buses.
Klein said the company was told Monday the drivers would tentatively be reporting to a FEMA site in Charlotte, N.C., where it was expected they would be used to transport nonemergency medical patients who need medical attention.
“Once the vehicles leave here they will tell us where to go and when to be there. We will be at their disposal,” he said, adding that he is not sure when the assignment will end.
Klein said he had expected the buses would be getting on the road by about 6 a.m. Tuesday. But by 5 p.m. Tuesday, the company was still awaiting final instructions from FEMA.
“There’s not much we can do. We’re just waiting for the go ahead,” he added.
In the meantime, Klein said
the motorcoaches had been prepped and the drivers were at home resting for a trip that could take upwards of about 10 hours to complete.
Each motorcoach is starting the trip with a full tank of gas, and each gas tank holds about 200 gallons.
“We have told the drivers not to let the tank get below half-full before filling up,” Klein said. “Once they get to the FEMA site, there will be fuel tanks on site dedicated to this purpose.”
Klein said the drivers have also been told to take a road atlas with them, because they may not have access to GPS following the storm. He also said they have been told to be prepared for other issues — like the lack of mobile phone service or access to cash through ATMs.
Each driver was also planning to take water and some extra cleaning supplies, according to Klein, who added that once the departure was delayed, a decision was made to expand what the drivers would transport.
“We reached out to employees this morning about donating items, things like water, diapers, hand sanitizers and other supplies,” Klein said.
That request for donations reached outward, as well. A post on the company’s Facebook page asked area residents to make donations of water, paper towels, toilet paper, hygiene products and diapers. Do- nations were accepted until 3 p.m. Tuesday.
This isn’t the first time Klein Transportation has assisted FEMA with disaster relief. Klein said the company has helped in previous hurricane responses in Louisiana and Texas.
Klein Transportation has been family owned and operated for more than 60 years, and employs approximately 80 individuals from the tri-county region. For more information visit www.kleintransportation. com/ or www.facebook. com/kleintransportation/