MANAGING A DISASTER

“WE GOT A FIRE! IT’S BAD!”

Those are the last words you want to hear as an auto recycler.

Here are learn lessons from recyclers who have experienced the worst. BY MICHELLE KEADLE-TAYLOR

Shannon Nordstrom T

here are moments in history that we’ll never forget, like the assassination of JFK or Sept. 11. They are etched in our memories forever, even after the shock and sadness we experienced has faded. For Dan Snyder, Snyder’s Certified Auto and Truck Parts, the day he walked into his build- ing and saw his employee catch fire, isn’t one he is likely to forget either. Nor are the memories that other recyclers share, such as Benny Cunningham, Shannon Nordstrom, Rick and Bob Wilbert, Greg Weaver and more, all whom experienced fires that destroyed or damaged property.

Little did Dan Snyder, Partner and General Manager of Snyders, know when he went to work that day over ten years ago that he would save a life and lose a build- ing. The fire started when a dismantler was using a cutting torch around a Dodge Van fuel tank. The dis- mantler cut the fuel tank strap without incident, but when the strap gave way the fuel tank fell to the floor and the dismantler became a victim of fuel on the floor and the torch in his hand. He caught fire. Snyder happened to be walking in the building a few seconds before and saw the incident. He grabbed the dismantler and took him outside and rolled him on the ground, quickly extinguishing the flames and preventing major burns or further injuries. Once he saw the dismantler was safe, Snyder rushed back inside where he and another employee used fire extinguishers to fight the rapidly spreading flames. They expelled the extinguishers and the fire over- took their efforts in the metal and A-wooden frame

building. In the end it was a complete loss – they had lost their three-bay dismantling building. Nordstrom’s Automotive Inc. experienced a fire on July 25, 2012. “Almost exactly at 4:00 p.m., I had one of our staff members briskly interrupt a meeting our leadership team was having with visiting business part- ners from out of town with the words you never want to hear; “We got a fire! It’s bad!” said Shannon Nord- strom, Vice President/General Manager and Owner. “I will never forget the look on our team member’s face, and he was not even involved, he was just asked to run and break the news.

“The fact that we had a fire in one of our dismantling areas is horrible. Team member’s lives were at stake and the very heartbeat of any recycling business surrounds your dismantling efforts. This is the event you think will never happen to your company, it will be someone else I will read about. This time it was me, who is it next time?”

July-August 2015 | Automotive Recycling 45