Crisis mitigated quickly at Urban Impact
recycling fire thanks to assistance from employees,
industry,community volunteers, and Richmond Fire Dept.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2007

Richmond BC - Urban Impact’ wont let something like a major fire disrupt service to it’s customers. The recycling warehouse at 10071 River Dr. was badly burned Friday November 23, after a fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. Thanks to loyal and quick thinking staff, the Richmond Fire Department, and Urban Impact’s competitors and community volunteers, It’s business as usual for the Richmond based recycling, and shredding company.

Here’s the play-by-play involving some of the “heroes”.

• Mark Popp – First Urban Impact employee to arrive. Sees fire, calls 911, and races into the warehouse. Popp single handedly saves 5 specialized vehicles worth 300 thousand dollars by driving them out of the burning building. Popp suffers only some minor singing to his clothes.
• Randy Bates – The Urban Impact Mechanic works all Friday night and into Saturday morning pulling materials out of the burning warehouse so they could be soaked with water and extinguished.
• 25 Urban Impact Staff – Rallies together to organize the removal of the Urban Impact fleet of trucks parked just in front of the burning warehouse. Fire hoses on the ground had barricaded the trucks in the yard. The staff builds make shift ramps to maneuver the fleet up and over the hoses, so that the hoses were not damaged. All Urban Impact trucks were saved. Incredibly, the 25 staff members then hop in the trucks and head to work servicing Urban Impact customers.
• Richmond Fire Department – 25 Firefighters arrived at Urban Impact Fire on Friday November 23 just after 5 AM, and battle the fire for 36 continuous hours until it is under control and eventually extinguished. Well organized and professional, the Fire Department contains the warehouse fire ensuring minimal losses to the remaining Urban Impact compound.
• Community volunteers – Upon learning of the fire, neighbors spring into action, and offer assistance to Urban Impact owners Nicole Stefenelli, Rod Nicolls, and the Urban Impact staff.
• Industry Partners – Hearing news of the fire, several of Urban Impact’s industry partners have offered alternative service delivery programs to help Urban Impact ensure that it’s business as usual for Urban Impact’s customers.

For more information, or to set up an interview please contact,

Craig Thullner
Fresh Strategy
778.329.7340
craigfreshstrategy@shaw.ca

or

Marina Percy
Fresh Strategy
604.736.9707
604.805.6864 (C)
marina@freshstrategy.com