Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 23, 1993 TAG: 9308230048
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CELESTE KATZ STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
What's Hardee's doing here? This is no time to be peddling burgers and fries.
No one's manning a cash register here. The Hardee's Emergency Support Unit, a cream-colored van emblazoned with the familiar blue and orange logo of the fast-food chain, provides free food to those who often don't have time to take a break.
Ross Garland, a vice president of Boddie-Noell Enterprises, the company that owns most of the Hardee's restaurants in Virginia, says the van comes in especially handy when police and others are on emergency scenes for long periods of time. He cited the Stanley Furniture Co. fire in Henry County in February as an example.
"We've responded to at least 15 emergencies since February," Garland said at his Brandon Avenue Southwest office in Roanoke. "We've given out about $3,000 worth of product since then."
The van, complete with vanity plates reading "HARDEES," contains everything needed to heat and serve the burgers, chicken, biscuits and drinks usually distributed by restaurant employee volunteers. The food is prepared at a Hardee's restaurant and transported in the van. "Chase" vehicles - radio-equipped company cars - shuttle food from the restaurants to the emergency site when supplies run low.
Garland said that while Hardee's tries to fill special requests made by emergency personnel, they usually don't have a problem with picky eaters.
"The food we provide depends on what time of the day it is," he said. "But if it's 3 in the morning and you've been fighting a fire for a few hours, you're not too particular about what you get to eat."
Mike Hightower, a Boddie-Noell group leader who oversees eight Hardee's in the area, added that sometimes weather conditions will shape what kind of food is most appropriate.
"Sometimes in the winter, they'll ask for hot chocolate. If it's hot, we provide a lot of [iced] tea," said Hightower, wearing a "Hardee's Emergency Assist Team" polo shirt. There have been, he said, no complaints: "Firemen eat a lot."
Coolers in the van keep drinks cold, and coffee brewers and hot plates are readily available. The unit also contains a microwave, a heating stove for burgers and fries, and rows of boxes labeled "coffee stirrers," "honey-jelly," "towelettes" and "S & P shakers."
Most impressive is the van's 8,000-watt generator - larger than those of many local fire stations - which powers all the appliances in the van and lights that can be set up outside.
It takes two people to run the van, and usually managers and supervisors do the job. Garland and Hightower have no qualms about waking employees in the dead of night to head out to accidents and fires after being alerted by local authorities.
The van is equipped with a first-aid kit, but despite its message of "Emergency Support," Hightower said Hardee's leaves medical treatment to trained technicians.
"All we can offer is some aspirin and a few bandages," Hightower said.
The community service began in Virginia Beach, and in the past few years, emergency support vans have been brought to several other Virginia localities.
"If we can help anyone out, that's what we want," Hightower said.
"They've taken a big burden off of our hands," said Jerry Thompson, chief of the Hollins Fire Department. "If we're going to be there for more than four hours or so, you have to feed people to keep their energy up."
Thompson said it helps that he doesn't have to lose a person by sending someone out to get food.
"And they'll even come out in the middle of the night, when a lot of restaurants are closed."
by CNB