Yesterday the TSA issued another warning to all Motor Coach, Transit and public passenger transportation companies of the very real possibility of terrorist threats toward these forms of transportation during the holiday seasons, and more particularly NOW, during the Thanksgiving week.

PLEASE NOTIFY ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES OF THIS INCREASED LEVEL OF DANGER AND IMPLORE UPON THEM THAT THEY NEED TO RAISE THEIR AWARENESS!

Attached are two documents issued this morning with more details.

Please issue these documents in the following manner:

TSA Nov2011 Bus Surge procedures --- Please print and distribute individually to ALL Operations personnel, including but not limited to: Bus Drivers, Mechanics, Safety personnel, Maintenance personnel, bus cleaners, fuelers, Operations managers & supervisors and dispatchers.

TSA Transit Nov2011 SURGE Nov 23-28 Final --- This is a lengthy document. IF you operate a transit service, a commuter service, or a line run service in which you transport the general public and anyone can board your bus, then you need to:
-Print and Post this document in conspicuous work areas where your drivers, mechanics, cleaners, fuelers & operations personnel can see it.
-Meet with your employees and have a 10-15 minute discussion with them, making sure they understand the heightened level of awareness.
-Make regular radio or public announcements to your drivers and other personnel throughout this week reminding them to be vigilant.
-Instruct your drivers to make announcements (give them pointers on how to make announcements) to their passengers asking them to be vigilant and to report anything out-of-the-ordinary to the driver or to call 911 on their cell phone.

Any group trips or routes that will be carrying Military personnel, College or School children, and high-profile groups such and professional sports teams or buses with destinations to high-profile events seem to be a preferred target according to the information that TSA is receiving. Keep your drivers aware of this accordingly.

We have never seen this level of awareness and heightened level of notification and warning from the TSA to bus operators in the past.
Please take it seriously and respond as requested by notifying all of your employees.

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Safe, Happy and Peaceful Thanksgiving Holiday, From The Plan of Action Team.

http://planofaction.us/files/2011/11/TSA-INFO.pdf

http://planofaction.us/files/2011/11/TSA-Transit-Nov2011-SURGE-Nov-23-28-2011-Final.pdf

Information provided by TSA, DHS &  Coach America.

By utilizing the latest in Computer Aided Design programs, we are already able to recreate scale models of facilities, replete with interior and exterior pictures. In the near future, we will take that a step further and introduce 3D modeling to our Facility Planning process. We will have the ability to replicate interiors with the added effects of emergency conditions such as diminished visibility. This technology will also be able to provide simulated training exercises for evacuation.

What this amounts to, is an Emergency Preparedness Program that not only provides accurate evacuation planning, but also details critical situations of how to escape from your facility in the event of an emergency. This will aide in the preparation for circumstances your employees may encounter such as sensory deprivation. 3D modeling will allow them to be more prepared and ready to react quickly and effectively in a crisis situation.

This is a glimpse into the future of your teammates at Terrapin Blue, where we are always striving to find the next break through technology to better serve our clients.

Traveling to six states in four days, the Plan of Action (POA) team visited motorcoach operators in Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN and Asheville, NC to develop customized “emergency preparedness plans,” or EPPs, which minimize the negative impact of potential crisis situations.

Throughout the visits, the POA team consulted with each client, in addition to photographing and mapping its facility, all in preparation for designing targeted EPPs, comprehensive safety plans that are sent directly to first responding agencies, aiding them to save human lives in the event of a crisis situation.

Patrick Kelly, POA’s Senior Director of Planning, spoke in regards to the recent client visits:

“Plan of Action always looks forward to hitting the road and visiting each and everyone of our clients,” Kelly said. “Face time with each of our valued clients helps POA to create meaningful relationships, prepare tailored emergency preparedness plans, and gain valuable insight into our ever-evolving market. Each facility visit provides critical information that manifests the development of progressive and proactive emergency preparedness, crisis management, and security awareness.”

“As we strive to establish formidable, aggressive, and individualized tactical preparedness plans, our personalized site visits continue to incorporate POA’s tailored approach, fostering the ever-evolving needs of each of our operators, ensuring the safety of their operators and passengers, and helping to make the motorcoach industry a wonderful one," he said.

Samantha Janeira, of Safety Bus, said the following in regards to POA's work:

"Plan of Action's flexibility to meet [our] needs was a great experience," she said. "POA's training team adapted to the scheduling demands that Safety Bus' drivers and managers face to ensure that everyone in our organization was fully trained and certified with their safety class. Their ability to adapt and tailor POA's program around our demanding schedules made the experience all that much more worthwhile."

This four-day event was a productive experience for the Terrapin Blue family of companies, which includes Plan of Action, and served as an opportunity for our team to network with motorcoach industry professionals.

At our booth throughout the event’s Product Pavilion portion, we met hundreds of professionals that represent a variety of groups in the travel industry, including bus operators, hotel owners and destination marketing organizations. Eager to hear about the diverse array of services that our family of companies provides, these individuals learned a great deal about Terrapin Blue throughout Marketplace.

(Pictured above on left: Ryan Kelly, CEO of Terrapin Blue, on the Product Pavilion floor.)

The Terrapin Blue team also attended educational seminars led by professional speakers and industry leaders throughout the week, learning about a variety of topics applicable to the transportation industry, such as marketing and social media.

And of course, being in Philadelphia, our team took the opportunity to experience the city’s rich history and culture.

Marketplace 2011 was a unique industry event for our company, and Terrapin Blue looks forward to its continued partnership with the American Bus Association, as well as future ABA-sponsored events.

Read more about our recent exclusive partnership with the American Bus Association here.

Plan of Action traveled to the premises of Safety Bus Service, a motorcoach operator based in Pennsauken, NJ, to administer training sessions for bus drivers on how to respond in a wide variety of crisis and terrorist situations.

Terrapin Blue President and CEO Ryan Kelly spoke on behalf of Plan of Action:

“I was excited to present our first Spanish-speaking Plan Of Action emergency preparedness training,” he said. “The class went perfectly.”

Samantha Craig, safety director at Safety Bus, said the following:

"The information was translated very well,” she said. “All drivers and staff easily understood the Spanish documents and video. It was very clear, and they enjoyed that this information was able to be accessed in Spanish, because so much documentation for our industry is not available in their language.”

Plan of Action has begun to incorporate the Spanish language throughout its training materials in an ongoing effort to better accommodate the diverse range of communities that its clientele work in.

POA’s recent work at Safety Bus Service is a major accomplishment for the organization, as well as for the motorcoach industry.

About Plan of Action

Plan of Action, LLC handles emergency preparedness and anti-terrorism training services for companies within the ground transportation industry. Based in Athens, GA, the POA team travels across North America to meet directly with clients and prepare researched, targeted training services. Plan of Action is under the Terrapin Blue family of companies, which also includes Community Spec and Green Room International Productions.

ATHENS, Georgia - December 1 , 2010 - Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC and respective family of companies recently entered into an exclusive partnership with the American Bus Association.

Nationally recognized for their work with public/private partnerships, professional grant services, innovative security/emergency preparedness work, and contemporary media services, the Terrapin Blue family of companies (Community Spec, LLC, Plan of Action, LLC and Green Room International Productions, LLC (GRIP)) has positioned itself to be the go-to firm to help transportation companies grow and compete in the 21^st century American business environment.

On Partnering with the American Bus Association

“Terrapin Blue is excited to be working with the American Bus Association,” said Ryan Kelly, President and CEO of Terrapin Blue. “We felt that this partnership best fit the types of professional services that our family of companies provides the transportation industry and look forward to the opportunity of developing long-term relationships with many of the ABA members.”

“The Terrapin Blue team is committed to providing innovative professional services to ABA operators by diversifying transportation portfolios, securing federal, state, and local grant resources, implementing state-of-the-art emergency preparedness programs and creating contemporary media strategies in respective markets,” he said.

About the American Bus Association

The American Bus Association (ABA) represents approximately 1,000 motorcoach and tour companies in the United States and Canada, facilitating relationships between the North American motorcoach industry and all related segments of the travel and supplier industry. ABA creates awareness of the motorcoach industry among consumers, communicating publicly on important issues like motorcoach and highway safety. To learn more, visit www.buses.org.

About Ryan Kelly and Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC.

Ryan Kelly is President and CEO of Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC. Terrapin Blue is being recognized as the one-stop shop for transportation companies to further their business. With the ability to write and facilitate grants for their partner companies as well as furthering media relations through website production, online marketing and search engine optimization, and leading-edge emergency preparedness and security services, Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC is positioned as a unique consultancy firm to grow bus industry awareness. To learn more, visit www.terrapinblue.com.

For more information about Terrapin Blue or the other organizations, please visit www.terrapinblue.com.

CEO Levester Pendergrass of Pendergrass Charters, Inc and great employees not only make their “client’s satisfaction” their top priority, but also made our training a satisfying experience.