In an effort to find a more efficient and cost-effective way to fill the sandbags needed to protect communities from flooding, emergency management officials are now acquiring a new tool, called the S
August 23, 2006 (Press Release) --
Tens of thousands of sandbags are filled daily in the US during efforts to shore up water overflow as a result of heavy rains, hurricanes, and even water main bursts. In an effort to find a more efficient and cost-effective way to fill these sandbags, emergency management officials are now acquiring a new tool, called the SackMaster, that dramatically reduces the time and labor needed to respond to emergencies. This ergonomically designed, shovel-like device that utilizes the labor of just a single person has been hailed as an innovative triumph that will change the way emergency preparedness is managed.
The innovation, created by Mark Martinez and seen on Simon Cowell’s hit TV show American Inventor, has garnered even more attention after a year of excessive flooding due to hurricanes that saw emergency management officials struggling to fill sandbags fast enough to meet demand. This caused emergency management officials to retool their thoughts on the strenuous, time-consuming, two-person method of filling sandbags so long advocated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The Emergency Management Branch of the US Army Corps of Engineers advises in a document titled, “Flood Fighting: How To Use Sandbags” that sandbags are, “a simple, but effective way to prevent or reduce flood water damage.” It further advises that, “filling sandbags is a two person operation.” This traditional two-person approach was used during the recent spring flooding in the northeast when the soldiers at Ft. Myer army base in Arlington county, Virginia were forced to work through the night to deliver ten thousand sandbags in just a few hours to disaster areas. This prompted US Army officials at Ft. Rucker, Alabama to purchase The SackMaster for their soldiers to alleviate the burdens and time constraints of the traditional two-person approach to sandbagging.
In response to the need for an effective way to fill sandbags, emergency management officials in New Orleans and South Florida welcomed Mark Martinez as he toured the areas, demonstrating The SackMaster’s ergonomic design that cuts sandbag filling time by two-thirds. Both of those areas now count The SackMaster as one of the most important tools they have in their emergency preparedness efforts.
The SackMaster (www.thesackmaster.com) is operated by a single person who holds a sandbag over the end of an approximately two and a half foot long tube that is connected to a shovel which is used to dig into a sand pile. The design allows the user to gather sand and by simply tipping the device, fill one sandbag with the suggested amount of sand in one scoop. This simple innovation has cut emergency response times, reduced labor costs, and improved the working conditions of our military, municipality, and volunteer workers.
The innovation, created by Mark Martinez and seen on Simon Cowell’s hit TV show American Inventor, has garnered even more attention after a year of excessive flooding due to hurricanes that saw emergency management officials struggling to fill sandbags fast enough to meet demand. This caused emergency management officials to retool their thoughts on the strenuous, time-consuming, two-person method of filling sandbags so long advocated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The Emergency Management Branch of the US Army Corps of Engineers advises in a document titled, “Flood Fighting: How To Use Sandbags” that sandbags are, “a simple, but effective way to prevent or reduce flood water damage.” It further advises that, “filling sandbags is a two person operation.” This traditional two-person approach was used during the recent spring flooding in the northeast when the soldiers at Ft. Myer army base in Arlington county, Virginia were forced to work through the night to deliver ten thousand sandbags in just a few hours to disaster areas. This prompted US Army officials at Ft. Rucker, Alabama to purchase The SackMaster for their soldiers to alleviate the burdens and time constraints of the traditional two-person approach to sandbagging.
In response to the need for an effective way to fill sandbags, emergency management officials in New Orleans and South Florida welcomed Mark Martinez as he toured the areas, demonstrating The SackMaster’s ergonomic design that cuts sandbag filling time by two-thirds. Both of those areas now count The SackMaster as one of the most important tools they have in their emergency preparedness efforts.
The SackMaster (www.thesackmaster.com) is operated by a single person who holds a sandbag over the end of an approximately two and a half foot long tube that is connected to a shovel which is used to dig into a sand pile. The design allows the user to gather sand and by simply tipping the device, fill one sandbag with the suggested amount of sand in one scoop. This simple innovation has cut emergency response times, reduced labor costs, and improved the working conditions of our military, municipality, and volunteer workers.
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