- Darryl O. Diggs, Asst. Services Program Manager, Department of Defense
On the morning of 9-11-01 terrorists hit the Pentagon with a 130,000 pound airplane traveling at 345 miles per hour with 9,000 gallons of fuel on board.
The World's Largest Office Building suffered great damage at the point of impact. Water damage from sprinklers and fire hoses affected adjoining areas, and smoke and soot quickly filled the 6 million square foot structure.
Rescue operations commenced immediately and, combined with the structural strength of the building, prevented a more devastating loss of life than the 184 soldiers, civilians, and passengers killed in the attack. At the same time, actions were taken so that evacuated personnel would be able to return to their jobs as soon as possible. The need for expert clean-up was second only to the rescue effort.
The United States Govenment needed our help...
The Pentagon called ServiceMaster Clean at 11:30 A.M. on September 11th and our recovery staff was on the move by noon. On the morning of September 12th 50 ServiceMaster Clean technicians patiently waited in the Pentagon's western parking lot preparing for their background checks and the massive clean up effort to come. Within the next few days supplies and manpower from ServiceMaster Clean offices arrived from across the country and around the world. Nearly 3000 technicians took part in the disaster restoration efforts. Two twelve hour shifts worked nonstop for 5 weeks to restore the 5 million square feet of office space to working conditions. On November 16, 2001 the day shift finished the clean up after 1.26 million man hours of work.
ServiceMaster Clean takes the same actions for all of our customers, big or small. We are very proud to have been selected by the Government for this project. We will always remember playing a small part in the healing of our nation during a time of great loss and pain.
We at your local ServiceMaster Clean will always be proud to live in this wonderful country and serve the great people of it. May we never forget those who lost their lives in the service of America both in the attacks and in the foreign conflicts that resulted from them.
