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On July 18, 2007, Mr. John was once again called upon to provide disaster relief services. A steam pipe explosion in Midtown Manhattan expelled thick plumes of smoke and ash into the air. The accident occurred between Lexington Ave. and 40th St, causing much devastation and shutting down a heavily populated area of New York City. The 83 year old steam pipe that exploded resulted in the death of one individual and injured 40 others. The pipe was part of an underground network of mains and service pipes that deliver steam to thousands of customers including the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and the United Nations for such purposes as heat and air conditioning. As for the cause of the explosion, many are blaming the city's aging infrastructure. The areas directly surrounding the blast, spanning from Lexington Ave. to Grand Central Station, were shut down completely until the next day, when the streets slowly began to re-open. The surrounding businesses and the commuters that pass through the area daily were counting on a speedy recovery.

Mr. John responded immediately to the disaster by delivering 83 Standard portable restrooms to the affected area. Many individuals were involved in repairing the damaged pipe, streets and buildings, so the job site needed as many toilets as possible, as quickly as possible. Five trucks, carrying anywhere from four to twenty-four Standard portable restrooms arrived on the site within four hours of the explosion. Since they arrived at the site, these units have been serviced twice a day. 73 Standard portable restroom units were picked up from the site on July 22nd. The remaining 10 units will continue to be serviced twice a day, until the work is completed.

Although this time of year is what would be considered Mr. John's "busy season," the entire staff found a way to immediately respond to the disaster in New York City. As soon as Mr. John employees and managers were informed of the explosion, they hurried to create a plan of action that would be concise and effective. According to Keasbey Service Center Manager, Rob Suessmann, "If this was going to be anything remotely like September 11th, we needed to be prepared for the worst. At that point, we sat down and devised an action plan to immediately respond to the situation." The plan was implemented immediately and trucks carrying the 83 toilets were rushed to the scene.

Mr. John will continue to aid in the effort to repair the damage that was caused by the explosion, while tending to the needs of its many valuable customers.

As a leader in the industry, Mr. John is the only temporary restroom provider in the New York City area with enough resources and a large enough inventory to respond to a job of this size. Thanks to a dedicated staff and an effective plan of action, Mr. John was able to continue to operate normally and provide regular service to its existing customers.