Responsibility:
Community Engagement
Airgas is a company that is known locally, nationwide. With more than 1,100 locations, we are part of the community fabric in cities and towns across America. Airgas associates have found many different ways to be good neighbors in their hometowns. As a company, we are doing the same—on a broader scale—through our involvement with Operation Homefront and the work of our Airgas Emergency Response Organization.
Corporate Citizenship: Operation Homefront
In 2014, Airgas made its seventh annual donation of $100,000 to Operation Homefront, and extended its partnership through 2016. This national nonprofit provides emergency assistance to military family members left behind when troops are deployed and to wounded service members when they return home.
We chose this organization as our first-ever corporate philanthropy partner because we believe in its cause— meeting the needs of the military community during difficult times—and because we wanted to ensure that our dollars are making a direct impact on our communities. More than 90 percent of donations to Operation Homefront go directly to funding its many programs and services that are life-changing for our military service members and their families.
In addition, as part of our affiliation with Operation Homefront, we committed to hiring veterans and offering the Airgas "Welding 101" course to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan interested in exploring a career in welding. Through 2014, we have hired more than 1,100 veterans into the company.
The Expanding Impact of Operation Homefront—With Airgas Support
Assistance Grants
Military Families Fed
School Supplies for Military Children
2013
$4.0M
11,213
$4.7M
2014
$4.8M
13,641
$5.0M
Bob McGowan: From Military Service to Community Service
Airgas associates across the country coordinate or participate in Operation Homefront events—from food drives to school supply collections—but Bob McGowan shows just how deep this grassroots engagement goes at the local level. A Vietnam-era Marine who works as a Senior National Account Manager for Airgas, Bob is also on the national Board of Directors of Operation Homefront.
On behalf of the organization, he coordinates local events, speaks to various groups and media, raises money by running in the Marine Corps Marathon, and works directly with wounded warriors and their families in the Pittsburgh area. He did all of that and more in 2014—and still found the time and energy to serve as one the biggest Operation Homefront ambassadors at Airgas, encouraging all his co-workers to get involved by calling their local chapter. "At Airgas, all 17,000 of us have the potential to change lives through Operation Homefront," Bob says.
Bob McGowan (left) at the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon with retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Carlos Cruz.
Community Safety: Airgas Emergency Response Organization
Fifteen years ago, we created the Airgas Emergency Response Organization (AERO). Today, it is the largest hazardous material (hazmat) organization in the U.S. specifically trained to address compressed gas issues, such as dented, leaking or labelless cylinders that surface at Airgas or our customer sites.
With more than 300 highly trained Airgas hazmat technicians organized in teams around the country, AERO gives us the ability to respond quickly to emergency calls and help keep our communities safe. The teams take part in regular training sessions to stay up-to-date on the latest remediation techniques and conduct drills that duplicate real-world conditions. In 2014, we conducted more than 30 drills, including two joint sessions that involved personnel from the local city's emergency response team who wanted to enhance their compressed gas hazmat knowledge and skills. We also increased the number of AERO technicians on the ground in 2014.
2014 |
|
34 |
320 |
AERO Teams |
AERO Technicians |
Everett, WA: Helping the EPA Defuse a Dangerous Situation
In early 2014, a man in search of scrap metal bought several gas cylinders he thought were empty and began cutting them up in his garage. When he cut into one tank, it began spewing out chlorine gas. The situation was serious, and needed immediate attention. These were not Airgas cylinders, but when personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arrived on the scene, they quickly determined they needed more expertise and called our local AERO team to help mitigate and remove the cylinder.
It is not standard procedure for AERO to respond to third-party emergencies, but as a good neighbor, the team made an exception. Within hours, our AERO team had installed the appropriate leak control kit and removed the cylinder to one of our locations where we were able to neutralize the remaining chlorine. The local EPA representative later wrote, "Not only did your AERO team's professional and timely response facilitate the quick removal of a prolonged threat, their efforts allowed the local residents to return to their homes safely, protected property and protected the environment."
AERO team members participate in a drill to safely remediate a gas cylinder leak.
Sustainability Report PDF